OF  THE 

Theological  Seminary, 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

BX  7691    .P5  A5   18A3  c. 1 

Society  of  Friends. 

The  ancient  testimony  of  th6 

Religious  Society  of 

I 


it 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/ancienttestinnonyOOsoci 


THE 

ANCIENT  TESTIMONY 

OF  THK 

RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS, 

COMMOXLY  CALLED  QUAKERS, 

RESPECTING  SOME  OP  THEIR  CHRISTIAN  DOCTRINES  AND 
PRACTICES. 

REVIVED  AND  GIVEN  FORTH  BY  THE  YEARLY  MEETING, 
Held  in  Philadelphia  in  the  Fourth  Month,  1843. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRINTED  BY  JOSEPH  RAKESTRAW. 
1843. 


CONTENTS. 


Introductory  Remarks,   5 

Of  the  One  true  God,  &c   12 

Of  Divine  Revelation,   18 

Of  the  fallen  State  of  Man,   33 

Of  the  Universality  of  the  Light  of  Christ,   .    .  36 

Of  the  Holy  Scriptures,                                 .  41 

Of  Justification,   50 

Of  Baptism  and  the  Supper,   58 

Divine  Worship,   62 

Ministry,   64 

Prayer,   66 

War,   68 

Slavery,   71 

Trade  and  living,   73 

Parents  and  Children,   77 

Conclusion,   81 


At  a  Yearly  Meeting  held  in  Philadelphia^  by  adjournments, 
from  the  llth  of  the  Fourth  month,  to  the  22nd  of  the  same, 
inclusive,  1843, — 

The  Meeting  for  Sufferings  having  been  brought  under 
much  exercise,  on  account  of  the  attempts  of  the  enemy  of  all 
righteousness  to  lay  waste  some  of  the  principles  and  testimonies 
of  our  Religious  Society,  as  set  forth  in  the  Writings  of  our 
early  Friends,  particularly  in  the  Apology  for  the  true  Christian 
Divinity,  written  by  Robert  Barclay, — a  work  with  which  we 
have  divers  times  declared  our  unity;  they  have  prepared  and 
produced  to  this  Meeting,  an  address  to  our  members,  reviving 
those  Christian  doctrines,  and  some  of  the  practices  of  our  anci- 
ent Friends,  which  having  been  read,  and  time  spent  in  solidly 
deliberating  upon  its  important  contents,  it  was  united  with  by 
this  Meeting,  and  the  Clerk  is  directed  to  sign  it  on  our  behalf. 
The  Meeting  for  Sufferings  is  authorized  to  print  such  number 
as  they  may  deem  proper,  for  general  circulation  amongst  our 
members  and  others.  . 


THE 


ANCIENT  TESTIMONY 

OF  THE 

RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


In  taking  a  view  of  the  state  of  our  religious  So- 
ciety, and  of  the  great  unsettlement  which  prevails 
in  the  world,  in  regard  to  various  subjects  of  a  reli- 
gious and  moral  character,  we  have  been  brought 
under  feelings  of  earnest  and  affectionate  solicitude, 
on  behalf  of  our  beloved  brethren  and  sisters ;  and 
agreeably  to  our  ancient  practice,  are  religiously  en- 
gaged to  address  them. 

We  feel  a  fervent  desire,  that  by  humbly  seeking 
for  and  following  the  leadings  of  Christ  Jesus,  the 
Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls,  we  may  all  experi- 
ence preservation  from  the  many  dangers  and  temp- 
tations which  abound  in  this  day  of  shaking  and 
commotion,  and  witness  an  establishment  upon  that 
Rock  which  cannot  be  moved,  and  which  has  been 
the  unfailing  refuge  and  support  of  the  righteous  in 
every  generation. 

We  are  persuaded  that  this  is  the  only  ground  of 
preservation  and  of  safety.  It  is  not  in  the  power 
of  any  man,  whatever  may  be  his  intellectual  endow- 
ments, or  his  acquired  knowledge,  to  withstand,  by 
his  own  efforts,  the  force  of  temptation,  or  to  direct 

2 


6 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


his  Steps  safely  through  the  difficulties  and  dangers 
which  attend  his  earthly  pilgrimage.  It  is  only  as 
we  "  trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  our  hearts,  and  lean 
not  to  our  own  understanding,"  that  we  shall  be  ena- 
bled, through  the  inshining  of  the  light  of  Christ 
Jesus,  to  detect  the  various  snares  which  the  enemy 
of  man's  happiness  is  insidiously  laying  for  our  en- 
tanglement, and  be  endued  with  strength  and  wisdom 
to  escape  them. 

Under  the  guidance  of  this  divine  Light,  the  holy 
ancients  in  all  ages  were  enabled  to  overcome  the 
wicked  one,  and  to  obtain  a  good  report  as  those  that 
pleased  God.  It  was  this  that  separated  our  worthy 
predecessors  from  the  corrupt  manners,  friendships 
and  religions  of  the  world ;  led  them  in  the  way  of 
the  daily  cross  and  self-denial,  and  made  them  living 
witnesses  of  the  power  and  coming  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Through  its  immediate  discoveries,  they  were 
given  to  see  the  emptiness  of  an  outside  religion — rest- 
ing in  a  profession  of  truths  which,  though  good  in 
themselves,  were  not  livingly  and  practically  expe- 
rienced ;  by  it,  they  were  released  from  those  forms 
and  ceremonies  imposed  by  the  will  and  wisdom  of 
man  in  this  glorious  gospel  day,  which  is  a  dispen- 
sation of  life  and  substance,  not  of  types  and  shadows; 
and  were  constrained  to  bear  a  constant  testimony  to 
the  necessity  of  resisting  and  overcoming  sin  in  all 
its  motions  ;  and  of  witnessing  the  inward  Hfe  of  right- 
eousness begun,  carried  on  and  perfected  in  the  soul, 
by  the  immediate  manifestation  of  the  power  and  spirit 
of  Christ  Jesus,  as  the  only  solid  foundation  for  the 
hope  of  everlasting  life  and  happiness. 

We  believe  that  a  loud  and  solemn  call  is  renew 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


7 


edly  extended  to  the  members  of  our  religious  Society, 
to  come  up  fully  and  unreservedly  in  the  belief  and 
observance  of  those  spiritual  doctrines  and  holy  practi- 
ces, which  conspicuously  distinguished  our  honourable 
predecessors ;  that  being  brought  more  entirely  under 
the  government  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  the  source 
of  all  saving  knowledge,  we  may  really  be  taught  of 
God  the  things  which  belong  to  the  soul's  salvation, 
and  humbly  and  steadfastly  walking  in  the  light,  may 
have  true  fellowship  one  with  another,  and  know  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  to  cleanse  us  from  all  sin. 

The  present  is  a  period  wherein  we  apprehend  the 
enemy  of  souls  is  busily  at  work,  endeavouring,  with 
all  the  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness,  to  beguile 
the  unw^ary,  and  to  draw  us  away  from  a  steadfast 
adherence  to  those  doctrines  and  practices  into  which 
our  primitive  Friends  were  thus  divinely  led ;  in  order, 
if  possible,  to  frustrate  the  work  of  regeneration  in 
individuals,  and  to  hinder  the  spread  of  those  princi- 
ples and  testimonies  which,  we  believe,  we  were  raised 
up  as  a  people,  to  uphold  and  promulgate  in  the  earth. 

The  doctrine  of  the  immediate  manifestation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  soul  of  man,  and  the  necessity 
of  submission  to  his  renewing  and  transforming  power 
there,  by  w^hich  sin  is  effectually  withstood  and  over- 
come, and  Christ  faithfully  followed  in  all  his  requir- 
ings,  aims  a  more  direct  and  deadly  blow  at  anti- 
christ's kingdom,  than  any  other ;  hence  his  enmity 
against  it  is  the  greater,  and  he  is  busy  in  endeavour- 
ing to  pervert  and  obscure  it ;  while  as  it  stands  di- 
rectly in  opposition  to  the  unregenerate  nature  of  man, 
so  he  is  most  willing  to  have  it  concealed  from  his 
view. 


8 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


We  have  seen,  during  a  season  of  trial  which  but  a 
little  while  ago  passed  over  us,  the  attennpts  of  the 
grand  deceiver  to  invalidate  and  bring  into  disrepute 
the  doctrine  of  immediate  divine  revelation,  by  lead- 
ing many  who  made  profession  of  it,  but  were  not 
faithful  to  its  teachings,  under  the  pretext  of  greater 
spirituality  than  their  brethren,  into  a  denial  of  some 
of  the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Christian  religion ; 
especially  in  reference  to  the  authenticity  and  divine 
authority,  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  divinity  and 
offices  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

This  mournful  declension  brought  deep  sorrow  and 
painful  exercise  upon  many  faithful  Friends;  who, 
through  divine  mercy,  were  preserved  from  the  delu- 
sion, and  engaged  to  lift  up  the  standard  of  truth 
against  its  progress.  Not  having  been  permitted  to 
lay  waste  the  Society  by  means  of  this  dark  and  be- 
wildering stratagem,  the  enemy  is  now  assaihng  us 
on  the  other  hand ;  endeavouring  to  draw  away  from 
the  spirituality  of  the  gospel — to  induce  an  undue  de- 
pendence upon  outward  means,  and  to  settle  down  at 
ease  in  a  literal  knowledge  and  belief  of  the  truths  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures. 

Another  device  is,  to  set  individuals  at  work,  in  the 
will  and  w^isdom  of  the  natural  man,  to  comprehend 
and  explain  the  sacred  truths  of  rehgion ;  to  bring 
them  down  to  the  level  of  his  unassisted  reason,  and 
make  them  easy  to  the  flesh ;  so  as  to  avoid  the  mor- 
tifying experience  of  becoming  fools  for  Christ's  sake, 
and  taking  up  the  daily  cross  to  the  wisdom,  the 
friendships,  the  honour  and  the  fashions  of  the  world. 
Others  he  is  leading  into  great  zeal  and  activity  in 
undertakings  of  a  religious  or  benevolent  character, 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


9 


which,  however  laudable  their  objects  may  be,  are 
not  their  proper  work  and  business;  but  engross  the 
time,  talents  and  attention,  which  ought  to  be  devoted 
to  the  all-important  concerns  of  the  soul's  salvation ; 
and  being  in  some  measure  substituted  for  that,  pro- 
duce great  and  serious  loss  to  such  individuals. 

At  different  periods  since  we  were  first  gathered  to 
be  a  people,  individuals  have  arisen  among  us,  who 
have  not  submitted  to  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
so  as  to  experience  the  death  of  self  and  a  resurrec- 
tion into  newness  of  life — or  having  known  it,  have 
fallen  away  from  that  happy  estate,  and  endeavoured 
to  lay  waste  the  doctrines'  they  once  professed. 
Through  the  friendships  of  the  world,  and  the  desire 
after  an  easier  way,  they  have  become  ashamed  of 
the  simplicity  of  the  truth,  and  offended  at  the  re- 
proach which  the  worldly  professor  attaches  to  the 
self-denying  religion  of  the  cross  of  Christ ;  and  their 
spiritual  vision  becoming  thereby  clouded,  they  have 
promulgated  sentiments  repugnant  to  our  Christian 
faith,  and  to  the  spiritual  nature  and  universality  of 
the  gospel,  as  set  forth  by  our  early  Friends;  particu- 
larly by  Robert  Barclay,  in  his  able  and  excellent 
"Apology  for  the  true  Christian  Divinity;"  a  work 
which  has  been  frequently  published  and  spread  by 
our  Society,  as  a  correct  exposition  of  its  doctrines, 
and  which  we  would  recommend  to  the  careful  and 
serious  perusal  of  all  our  members. 

These  defections  are  no  new  thing,  nor  are  they 
peculiar  to  our  Society;  many,  in  different  ages  of 
the  church,  having  made  shipwreck  of  faith  and  a 
good  conscience,  and  for  a  time  brought  much  suffer- 
ing upon  the  faithful  followers  of  Christ.    But  it  is 


10 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


worthy  of  observation,  that  those  among  us,  who 
have  thus  turned  against  the  truth  and  Friends,  even 
though  they  were  once  eminent  and  useful  instru- 
ments, have  generally  fallen  away,  so  as  to  lose  what 
they  had  known  of  the  life  and  power  of  godliness; 
the  men  of  this  world  have  gathered  them  into  their 
fellowship,  and  like  withered  branches,  all  greenness 
has  been  dried  up. 

During  the  season  of  trial  already  alluded  to,  when 
some  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  Christianity 
were  denied  by  those  who  have  since  separated  from 
us,  many,  from  a  sincere  desire  to  maintain  those 
precious  doctrines  inviolate,  came  forward  in  their 
defence.  For  want  of  coming  under,  and  keeping  to 
the  unfoldings  of  divine  light,  by  which  alone  the 
spiritual  eye  is  enabled  to  see  clearly,  and  a  qualifi- 
cation is  experienced  to  bear  a  true  testimony  to  the 
gospel  in  its  fulness,  some  of  these,  in  their  efforts  to 
advocate  those  doctrines,  have  not  sufficiently  kept  in 
view  the  internal  operation  of  the  gospel,  as  the  power 
of  God  unto  salvation;  nor  borne  a  clear  and  une- 
quivocal testimony,  as  our  ancient  Friends  did,  to  the 
universal  appearance  of  Christ  in  the  souls  of  all  men, 
as  "  the  true  Light,  which  lighteth  every  man  that 
Cometh  into  the  world." 

Seeing  the  errors  which  arose  from  undervaluing 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  there  has  been  a  tendency  to  run 
into  the  opposite  extreme,  and  to  exalt  them  into  a 
place  and  office  which  they  do  not  claim  for  them- 
selves, and  which  derogate  from  the  work  and  office 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

In  attempting  to  counteract  the  sorrowful  effects 
resulting  from  a  denial  of  the  benefits  which  accrue 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


11 


to  mankind  from  the  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ, 
as  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  the 
subject  has  been  pressed  so  far  as  to  give  countenance 
to  the  idea  that  Christ  has  paid  the  debt,  and  done  the 
work  for  us,  without  us ;  and  that  by  a  profession  of 
faith  in  and  reUance  upon  him,  as  their  atonement  and 
righteousness,  the  ungodly  may  be  justified  without 
experiencing  sanctification  through  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

For  want  of  duly  considering  that  the  unfaithful- 
ness or  inconsistency  of  false  professors,  is  no  argu- 
ment against  a  truth,  sound  and  profitable  in  itself,  we 
apprehend  that  the  high  pretensions  to  the  light  of 
Christ,  made  by  those  who  separated  from  us,  have 
induced  some  to  undervalue  this  fundamental  doctrine 
of  Holy  Scripture,  and  to  treat  it  in  a  manner  calcu- 
lated to  derogate  from  its  sufliciency  as  the  primary 
rule  of  faith  and  life;  or  to  take  such  an  imperfect 
and  mixed  view  of  it,  as  to  lessen  the  value  and  im- 
portance which  it  justly  holds  in  sound  Scripture  doc- 
trine. 

We  think  the  influence  and  effects  of  these  things 
are  to  be  discovered  in  our  favoured  Society;  and 
under  a  renewed  fervent  desire  to  discharge  our  reli- 
gious duty  in  the  sight  of  the  great  Head  of  the 
church,  and  an  afiectionate  concern  for  our  beloved 
fellow-members,  that  we  may  all  come  into  the  unity 
of  the  faith ;  striving  together,  through  the  Lord's 
gracious  assistance,  for  the  spreading  of  his  kingdom, 
and  the  growth  of  each  other  in  the  pure  unchange- 
able truth ;  we  feel  engaged  to  caution  our  dear  Friends 
against  the  dangers  to  which  we  have  thus  briefly 
alluded ;  and  to  revive  some  of  the  doctrines  and  tes- 


12 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


timonies  which  our  religious  Society  has  always 
held,  and  still  most  surely  believes ;  as  well  as  to  im- 
part some  tender  counsel  respecting  other  matters, 
which  may  endanger  their  stability,  and  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  the  Society  at  large. 

OF  THE  ONE  TRUE  GOD,  AND  THE  THREE  THAT  BEAR 
RECORD  IN  HEAVEN. 

We  believe  in  one  only  wise,  omnipotent  and 
everlasting  God,  the  creator  and  upholder  of  all 
things,  visible  and  invisible, — and  in  one  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  by  whom  are  all  things,  the  mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man, — and  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  which 
proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son ;  one  God, 
blessed  forever,  to  whom  belong  all  glory  and  honour, 
adoration  and  praise,  forever — Amen. 

In  speaking  of  the  infinite,  eternal  Being,  we  have 
always  considered  it  most  proper  and  consistent  with 
his  all-glorious  and  incomprehensible  existence  and 
attributes,  and  safest  for  us,  finite  creatures,  to  confine 
ourselves  to  the  language  of  Holy  Scripture.  For 
this  reason,  and  because  it  tends  to  perplexity  and 
doubt,  the  Society  has  always  objected  to  the  use  of 
the  terms  person  and  personality,  in  speaking  of  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  Man  may  think, 
by  his  wisdom  and  learning,  to  define  the  Divine  ex- 
istence, and  render  it  more  intelhgible  than  the  holy 
men  who  wrote  under  the  immediate  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Ghost;  but  we  believe  that  all  such  attempts 
will  ever  be  vain  and  futile,  and  that  it  is  our  duty 
humbly  to  receive,  and  rest  satisfied  with,  the  descrip- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  13 


tion  of  the  Three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  given  to 
us  in  the  language  of  Holy  Scripture,  v^^ithout  at- 
tempting to  pry  further  into  this  sacred  mystery.  To 
speak  of  the  Supreme  Being  as  constituted  of  three 
persons,  and  to  attempt  to  define  in  familiar  terms 
the  relative  place  and  office  of  each,  we  believe  does 
not  tend  to  edification,  but  is  calculated  to  lessen  that 
reverence  and  fear  which  ought  always  to  clothe  the 
mind  in  speaking  of  Almighty  God;  tends  to  bewilder 
and  confuse  the  sincere  inquirer  after  truth,  and  not 
only  leads  into-  unprofitable  speculation,  but  may  give 
ground  to  the  sceptic  to  cavil  at  the  Christian  religion. 

Our  ancient  Friends,  though  often  assailed  in  refer- 
ence to  this  article  of  their  faith,  by  persons  who  la- 
boured to  draw  them  into  the  use  of  terms  which  they 
considered  improper  and  unscriptural,  steadily  refused 
to  depart  from  the  language  of  the  prophets,  and  of  our 
blessed  Lord  and  his  apostles,  in  relation  to  it ;  even 
though  they  were  charged  with  unsoundness  of  prin- 
ciple, because  they  rejected  those  scholastic  terms  of 
their  opponents. 

George  Fox,  in  a  work  entitled,  "An  Answer  to  all 
such  as  falsely  say  the  Quakers  are  no  Christians," 
writes  thus  on  this  subject,  viz : 

"  We  own  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
as  the  apostles  have  declared.  And  it  is  the  Spirit 
that  beareth  witness,  because  the  Spirit  is  truth ;  for 
there  are  three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father, 
the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  these  three  are 
one ;  and  there  are  three  which  bear  record  in  earth, 
which  we  own.  And  now  let*  none  be  offended,  be- 
cause we  do  not  call  them  by  those  unscriptural 
names  of  Trinity  and  Three  persons,  which  are  not 


14 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


Scripture  words ;  and  so  do  falsely  say,  that  we  deny 
the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
three  are  one,  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  &c.;  which 
three  we  own  with  all  our  hearts,  as  the  apostle  John 
did,  and  as  all  true  Christians  ever  did,  and  now 
do.  And  if  you  say  we  are  not  Christians,  because 
we  do  not  call  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  the 
Trinity,  distinct  and  separate  persons,  then  you  may 
as  well  conclude  that  John  was  no  Christian,  who  did 
not  give  the  Father,  Word,  and  Holy  Ghost,  those 
names. 

"  We  believe,  concerning  God  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Spirit,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
ture, which  we  receive  and  embrace  as  the  most  au- 
thentic and  perfect  declaration  of  Christian  faith,  being 
indited  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  that  never  errs : 
1st.  That  there  is  one  God  and  Father,  of  whom  are 
all  things ;  2ndly.  That  there  is  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
by  whom  all  things  were  made,  who  was  glorified 
with  the  Father  before  the  world  began,  who  is  God 
over  all,  blessed  forever;  that  there  is  one  Holy  Spirit, 
the  promise  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  leader 
and  sanctifier,  and  comforter  of  his  people.  And  we 
further  believe,  as  the  Holy  Scriptures  soundly  and 
sufficiently  express,  that  these  three  are  one,  even  the 
Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Spirit." 

Robert  Barclay,  in  his  Confession  of  Faith,  says : 
"  There  is  one  God,  who  is  a  Spirit;  and  this  is  the  mes- 
sage which  the  apostles  heard  of  him  and  declared  unto 
the  saints,  that  he  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness  at 
all.  There  are  three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the 
Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  these 
three  are  one.    The  Father  is  in  the  Son,  and  the 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


15 


Son  is  in  the  Father.  No  man  knoweth  the  Son  but 
the  Father,  neither  knoweth  any  man  the  Father  save 
the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal 
him.  The  Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  yea  the  deep 
things  of  God.  For  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no 
man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God.  Now^  the  saints  have  re- 
ceived, not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the  Spirit 
which  is  of  God,  that  they  might  know  the  things 
which  are  freely  given  them  of  God.  For  the  Com- 
forter, which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father 
sends  in  Christ's  name,  he  teacheth  them  all  things, 
and  brino^eth  all  things  to  their  remembrance.'' 

Concerning  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Spirit, 
William  Penn  says:  "Because  we  have  been  very 
cautious  in  expressing  our  faith  concerning  that  great 
mystery,  especially  in  such  school  terms  and  philoso- 
phical distinctions  as  are  unscriptural,  if  not  unsound, 
the  tendency  whereof  has  been  to  raise  frivolous  con- 
troversies and  animosities  amongst  men,  we  have  by 
those  who  desire  to  lessen  our  Christian  reputation, 
been  represented  as  deniers  of  the  Trinity  at  large ; 
whereas,  we  ever  believed,  and  as  constantly  main- 
tained, the  truth  of  that  blessed  Holy  Scripture  three 
that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and 
the  Spirit,  and  that  these  three  are  one ;  the  which, 
we  both  sincerely  and  reverently  believe,  according 
to  1  John  V.  7.  And  this  is  sufficient  for  us  to  believe 
and  know,  and  hath  a  tendency  to  edification  and  ho- 
liness; when  the  contrary  centres  only  in  imagina- 
tions and  strife,  and  persecution,  where  it  runs  high, 
and  to  parties,  as  may  be  read  in  bloody  characters 
in  the  ecclesiastical  histories." 

The  following  is  extracted  from  a  work  written  by 


16 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


George  Whitehead,  entitled,  "  The  Divinity  of  Christ, 
and  unity  of  the  Three  that  bear  record  in  heaven, 
and  the  blessed  end  and  effects  of  Christ's  appearance, 
coming  in  the  flesh,  suffering  and  sacrifice  for  sinners, 
confessed  and  vindicated  by  his  followers,  the  Qua- 
kers." 

"The  divinity  of  Christ  confessed  by  us  called 
Quakers,  and  what  we  own  touching  the  Deity  or 
Godhead,  according  to  the  Scriptures ;  That  there  is 
but  one  God  the  Father,  of  whom  are  all  things,  and  we 
in  him, — and  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  are  all 
things,  and  we  by  him.  That  there  are  three  that 
bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and 
the  Spirit,  and  that  these  three  are  one,  both  in  divin- 
ity, divine  substance  and  essence ;  not  three  Gods,  nor 
separate  beings, — that  they  are  called  by  several 
names  in  Scripture,  as  manifest  to  and  in  the  saints; 
(for  whatsoever  may  be  known  of  God,  is  manifest  in 
man;  Rom.  1.)  and  their  record  received  as  the  full 
testimony  of  three,  by  such  as  truly  know  and  own 
the  record  of  the  three  in  earth ;  and  yet  they  are 
eternally  one  in  nature  and  being;  one  infinite  wis- 
dom, one  power,  one  love,  one  light  and  fife,  &c. 

"  We  never  denied  the  divinity  of  Christ,  as  most 
injuriously  we  have  been  accused  by  some  prejudiced 
spirits,  who  prejudicially,  in  their  perverse  contests, 
have  sought  occasion  against  us ;  as  chiefly  because 
when  some  of  us  were  in  dispute  with  [others,]  we 
could  not  own  their  unscriptural  distinctions  and 
terms,  touching  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  to  wit :  of  their  being  incommunicable,  dis- 
tinct, separate  persons,  or  substances;  whereas,  the 
Father,  the  Word,  and  Spirit,  are  one — not  to  be 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS.  17 

compared  to  corruptible  men,  nor  to  finite  creatures 
or  persons,  which  are  limitable  and  separable.  For 
the  only  wise  God,  the  Creator  of  all,  who  is  one,  and 
his  name  one,  is  infinite  and  inseparable.  And  the 
Father's  begetting  the  Son,  and  the  Spirit's  being 
sent,  we  witness  to  and  own,  as  he  said,  *  Thou  art 
my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee.'  And  he  hath 
sent  his  Spirit  into  our  hearts — and  that  the  Father  is 
in  the  Son,  and  the  Son  in  the  Father,  yea  in  the  bo- 
som of  the  Father ;  so  that  they  are  neither  divided 
nor  separate,  being  one,  and  of  one  infinite  nature  and 
substance — Christ  being  the  image  of  the  invisible 
God,  the  first-born  of  every  creature,  by  whom  all 
things  were  created,  both  in  heaven  and  in  earth. 
Yea,  the  Son  of  God  is  the  brightness  of  his  glory 
and  the  express  image  of  his  substance.  And  that  it 
was  in  due  time  that  God  was  manifest  in  flesh,  as  in 
the  fulness  of  time  God  sent  his  Son — and  the  Son  of 
God  was  made  manifest  to  destroy  sin — and  a  mani- 
festation of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit 
M^thal.  So  the  manifestation  of  the  Father,  of  the 
Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  we  confess  to  and  own  to  be  in 
unity,  and  so  the  only  true  God,  according  to  the 
Scriptures. 

"  And  that  Jesus  Christ  being  in  the  form  of  God, 
thought  it  no  robber}^  to  be  equal  with  God,  and  yet 
as  a  Son,  in  the  fulness  of  time  was  sent  of  the  Fa- 
ther, and  took  on  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  in  which 
state  he  said,  'My  Father  is  greater  than  I.'  And  he 
learned  obedience  through  suffering,  and  was  made 
perfect,  and  is  become  an  everlasting  High  Priest, 
after  the  order  of  Melchizedeck,  and  is  the  author  of 
eternal  salvation  unto  all  them  that  obey  him ;  and 

3 


18 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


God  hath  given  us  eternal  life  in  his  Son.  And  unto 
us  a  child  is  born  and  a  Son  is  given,  whose  name  is 
Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  mighty  God,  the  everlast- 
ing Father,  the  Prince  of  peace,  and  he  is  over  all, 
God  blessed  forever,  even  the  true  God  and  eternal 
life.  So  that  the  deity  or  divinity  of  Christ,  in  his 
eternal,  infinite,  glorious  state,  we  really  confess  and 
own,  having  known  his  virtue  and  power  to  redeem  us 
from  our  vain  conversations,  and  to  save  us  from 
wrath  to  come. 

"And  we  judge  that  such  expressions  and  words, 
as  the  Holy  Ghost  taught  the  true  apostles  and  holy 
men,  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  are  most  meet  to 
speak  of  God  and  Christ,  and  not  the  w^ords  of  man's 
wisdom,  or  human  inventions  and  devised  distinctions, 
since  the  apostles'  days." 

OF  DIVINE  REVELATION. 

The  doctrine  of  immediate  divine  revelation,  which 
was  soon  lost  sight  of  in  the  apostacy,  and  even  treat- 
ed with  derision  and  scorn,  ahhough  clearly  set  forth 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  its  necessity  and  use  am- 
ply testified  to ;  was  revived  and  abundantly  preached 
by  the  early  members  of  our  Society,  as  the  glory 
and  life  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  Through  the 
powerful  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  their  hearts, 
they  came  to  see  their  own  fallen  condition,  and  their 
need  of  a  deUverer  nigh  at  hand,  and  not  afar  ofl^ ;  and 
obeying  its  divine  openings,  they  w^ere  brought  to  the 
true  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  his  beloved  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  as  their  Redeemer  and  Saviour.  They  could 
testify  to  others  what  their  eyes  had  seen,  and  their 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


19 


hands  had  handled  of  the  good  word  of  life,  and  of 
the  powers  of  the  world  to  come :  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures were  livingly  and  savingly  opened  to  them  by 
this  divine  anointing ;  and  their  faith  did  not  stand  in 
the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of  God  revealed 
in  their  hearts. 

It  is  no  marvel  that  to  those  who  had  been  thus 
divinely  gathered  from  the  teachings  and  commenta- 
ries of  men,  to  Christ  Jesus,  the  minister  of  the  sanc- 
tuary and  true  tabernacle,  which  God  hath  pitched, 
and  not  man,  the  doctrine  of  immediate  divine  reve- 
lation should  be  very  precious,  and  should  form  a 
principal  theme  in  their  wTitings  and  discourses. 
They  not  only  knew  in  whom  they  believed,  but  also 
that  it  was  not  of  man,  nor  by  man,  but  by  the  reve- 
lation of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  soul,  that  they  came  to 
this  saving  knowledge.  While  other  professors,  too 
generally,  were  resting  in  a  bare  belief  of  what  Christ 
had  done  for  them,  without  them,  and  in  a  literal 
knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  these  converted 
and  regenerated  witnesses  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus,  were  made  partakers  of  that  faith  which  is 
produced  by  the  testimony  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ  in 
the  heart,  by  which  they  not  only  received  him  as 
their  Redeemer  and  Saviour,  in  what  he  graciously 
did  and  suffered  in  the  flesh,  as  the  propitiation  for 
sin,  and  as  their  mediator  and  intercessor ;  but  like- 
wise in  his  inward  and  spiritual  appearance,  to  bap- 
tize and  sanctify  them  ;  so  as  to  prepare  their  souls  to 
partake  of  the  fulness  of  the  blessings  which  the  gos- 
pel confers. 

In  setting  forth  the  belief  of  the  Society  respecting 
this  important  doctrine,  Robert  Barclay  states  that, 


20 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


*'  Seeing,  *no  man  knoweth  the  Father  but  the  Son^ 
and  he  to  whom  the  Son  revealeth  him and  seeing 
*  the  revelation  of  the  Son  is  in  and  by  the  Spirit 
therefore  the  testimony  of  tiie  Spirit  is  that  alone  by 
which  the  true  knowledge  of  God  hath  been,  is,  and 
can  be  only  revealed.  As,  by  the  moving  of  his  own 
Spirit,  he  disposed  the  chaos  of  this  world  into  that 
wonderful  order  in  which  it  was  in  the  beginning,  and 
created  man  a  living  soul,  to  rule  and  govern  it,  so, 
by  the  revelation  of  the  same  Spirit,  he  hath  mani- 
fested himself  all  along  unto  the  sons  of  men,  both  pa- 
triarchs, prophets  and  apostles ;  which  revelations  of 
God  by  the  Spirit,  whether  by  outward  voices  and  ap- 
pearances, dreams,  or  inward  objective  manifestations 
in  the  heart,  were  of  old  the  formal  object  of  their  faith, 
and  remain  yet  so  to  be ;  since  '  the  object  of  the  saints' 
faith  is  the  same  in  all  ages,  though  held  forth  under 
divers  administrations.'  Moreover,  these  divine  inward 
revelations,  which  we  make  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  building  up  of  true  faith,  neither  do  nor  can  ever 
contradict  the  outward  testimony  of  the  Scriptures,  or 
right  and  sound  reason.  Yet  from  hence  it  will  not 
follow,  that  these  divine  revelations  are  to  be  subjected 
to  the  test,  either  of  the  outward  testimony  of  the 
Scriptures,  or  of  the  natural  reason  of  man,  as  to  a 
more  noble  or  certain  rule  and  touchstone.  For  this 
divine  revelation,  and  inward  illumination,  is  that 
which  is  evident  and  clear  of  itself,  forcing,  by  its  own 
evidence  and  clearness,  the  well-disposed  understand- 
ing to  assent,  irresistibly  moving  the  same  thereunto, 
even  as  the  common  principles  of  natural  truths  do 
move  and  incline  the  mind  to  a  natural  assent." 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS.  21 

With  reference  to  the  various  outward  sources  of 
knowledge,  he  says,  "  I  would  not,  however,  be  under- 
stood, as  if  I  hereby  excluded  those  other  means  of 
knowledge  from  any  use  or  service  to  man ;  it  is 
far  from  me  so  to  judge,  as  concerning  the  Scriptures 
in  the  next  proposition  will  more  plainly  appear." 

Having  laid  down  the  position,  that  the  knowledge 
of  the  Father  is  by  and  through  the  Son,  he  proceeds 
to  show  that  the  revelation  of  the  Son  is  by  the  Spirit. 
"  Where  it  is  to  be  noted,"  he  says,  "  that  I  always 
speak  of  the  saving,  certain,  and  necessary  knowledge 
of  God,  which,  that  it  cannot  be  acquired  otherways 
than  by  the  Spirit,  doth  also  appear  from  many  clear 
Scriptures.  For  Jesus  Christ,  in  and  by  whom  the  Fa- 
ther is  revealed,  doth  also  reveal  himself  to  his  disciples 
and  friends,  in  and  by  his  Spirit.  As  his  manifestation 
was  outward  when  he  testified  for  the  truth  in  this 
Avorld,  and  approved  himself  faithful  throughout — so 
being  now  withdrawn  as  to  the  outw^ard  man,  he 
teaches  and  instructs  mankind  inwardly  by  his  own 
Spirit.  He  standeth  at  the  door,  and  whoso  heareth 
his  voice  and  openeth,  he  comes  in  to  such.  Of  this 
revelation  of  Christ  in  him,  Paul  speaks,  in  which  he 
places  the  excellency  of  his  ministry,  and  the  certainty 
of  his  calling.  And  the  promise  of  Christ  to  his  dis- 
ciples, confirms  the  same  thing,  '  Lo,  I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  w^orld ;'  for  this  is  an 
inward  and  spiritual  presence,  as  all  acknowledge." 

Again,  the  apostle  says,  "  What  man  knoweth  the 
things  of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him? 
even  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  man,  but  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Now  we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of 
the  world,  but  the  Spirit  which  is  of  God;  that  we  might 


22 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


know  the  things  that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God." 
From  which  Robert  Barclay  argues,  "  If  that  which 
appertains  properly  to  man,  cannot  be  discerned  by  . 
any  lower  principle  than  the  spirit  of  man,  then  can- 
not those  things  which  properly  relate  unto  God  and 
Christ,  be  known  or  discerned  by  any  lower  thing 
than  the  Spirit  of  God  and  Christ."  Again,  "  that 
which  is  spiritual,  can  only  be  known  and  discerned 
by  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  but  the  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  true  and  saving  knowledge  of  him  is 
spiritual,  and  therefore  can  only  be  known  and  dis- 
cerned by  the  Spirit  of  God."  The  same  apostle  also 
asserts,  that  no  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord, 
but  by  the  Holy  Ghost;  from  which  Robert  Barclay 
argues,  "  If  no  man  can  say  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  then  no  man  can  know  Jesus  to  be 
the  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  if  no  man  can 
know  him  to  be  the  Lord  but  through  this  medium, 
then  there  can  be  no  certain  knowledge  or  revelation 
of  him  but  by  the  Spirit." 

"  That  these  revelations  were  the  object  of  the 
saints'  faith  of  old,  will  easily  appear  by  the  definition 
of  faith,  and  considering  what  its  object  is.  Paul  de- 
scribes it  two  ways :  Faith,  says  he,  is  the  substance 
of  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen  ; 
which,  as  he  illustrates  it  by  many  examples,  is  no 
other  but  a  firm  and  certain  belief  of  the  mind, 
whereby  it  rests  and  in  a  sense  possesses  the  sub- 
stance of  some  things  hoped  for,  through  its  confi- 
dence in  the  promise  of  God ;  and  thus  the  soul  has  a 
most  firm  evidence  by  its  faith,  of  things  not  yet  seen 
nor  come  to  pass.  The  object  of  this  faith  is  the  pro- 
mise, word,  or  testimony  of  God  speaking  in  the  mind. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIE\DS. 


23 


Hence  it  has  been  generally  affirmed,  that  the  object 
of  faith  is  God  speaking ;  which  is  also  manifest  from 
all  those  examples  deduced  by  the  apostle  throughout 
that  chapter,  whose  faith  was  founded,  neither  upon 
any  outward  testimony,  nor  upon  the  voice  or  writ- 
ing of  man,  but  upon  the  revelation  of  God's  will 
manifest  unto,  and  in  them ;  as  in  the  example  of 
Noah.  Thus,  '  by  faith  Noah,  being  warned  of  God  of 
things  not  seen  as  yet,  moved  with  fear,  prepared  an 
ark  to  the  saving  of  his  house ;  by  which  he  con- 
demned the  world,  and  became  heir  of  the  righteous- 
ness which  is  by  faith.'  What  was  here  the  object  of 
Noah's  faith,  but  God  speaking  unto  him  ?  He  had 
not  the  writings  nor  prophesyings  of  any  going  be- 
fore, nor  yet  the  concurrence  of  any  church  or  peo- 
ple to  strengthen  him  ;  and  yet  his  faith  in  the  word, 
by  which  he  contradicted  the  whole  world,  saved 
him  and  his  house.  Of  which  also,  Abraham  is  set 
forth  as  a  singular  example,  being  therefore  called  the 
father  of  the  faithful,  who  is  said,  against  hope  to  have 
believed  in  hope ;  in  that  he  not  only  willingly  forsook 
his  father's  country,  not  knowing  whither  he  went,  in 
that  he  believed  concerning  the  coming  of  Isaac  ;  but 
above  all,  in  that  he  refused  not  to  offer  him  up,  not 
doubting  that  God  was  able  to  raise  him  from  the 
dead;  of  whom  it  is  said,  that  in  Isaac  shall  ihy  seed 
be  called.  The  object  of  Abraham's  faith  in  all  this, 
was  no  other  but  inward,  immediate  revelation,  or 
God  signifying  his  will  unto  him  inwardly  and  imme- 
diately by  his  Spirit." 

In  outward  and  natural  things,  we  often  rely  upon 
probabilities  and  the  testimony  of  others :  but  in  mat- 
ters which  pertain  to  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  there 


^4  THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OP 

can  be  no  effectual  faith  but  that  which  is  produced 
by  the  immediate  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
heart,  inclining  and  enabhng  us  to  believe  what  it  re- 
veals to  us  there,  as  well  as  those  things  which  are 
recorded  in  the  Scriptures  of  Truth.  This  faith  is  not 
an  inherent  principle  or  natural  faculty  of  the  human 
mind,  which  can  be  exercised  when,  and  as  a  man 
pleases,  though  it  will  always  be  given  to  those  who 
seek  it  in  a  humble  and  childhke  spirit,  of  Him  who 
is  the  author  and  giver  of  it.    *'  Whatsoever  is  born 
of  God,"  saith  the  apostle,  "  overcometh  the  world ; 
and  this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world, 
even  our  faith."    No  faculty  or  principle  natural  to 
the  mind  of  man,  can  give  this  victory.    "  By  grace 
are  ye  saved  through  faith,  and  that  not  of  yourselves  ; 
it  is  the  gift  of  God."    This  grace  of  God  teaches  us 
to  deny  all  ungodliness,  and  the  world's  lusts ;  and 
where  it  is  received  and  obeyed,  it  gives  faith  to  be- 
lieve that  we  shall  be  strengthened  and  enabled  by  it 
to  overcome  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil.  Thus 
wc  are  saved  by  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
through  faith  in  him  ;  and  as  we  continue  to  believe  in 
and  follow  him  to  the  end,  we  shall  know  him  to  be 
the  finisjier,  as  well  as  the  author,  of  this  hving  victo- 
rious faith. 

"  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of  God,  hath  the 
witness  in  himself:"  this  witness  is  the  Holy  Spirit, 
by  which  the  Son  of  God  reveals  himself  to  the  soul, 
gives  it  faith  to  believe  in  his  all-powerful  name,  and 
as  he  is  obeyed  and  followed,  he  displays  his  almighty 
power  and  goodness,  in  pardoning  its  past  sins — de- 
livering it  out  of  the  bondage-  of  corruption,  and  trans- 
lating it  into  the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God.  Thus, 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


25 


Christ  is  experimentally  known  as  the  Redeemer,  Sa- 
viour and  Sanctifier  of  his  people ;  and  those  only 
have  a  right  to  call  him  so,  whom  he  thus  saves  from 
their  sins,  by  his  own  blessed  Spirit.  "  Wherefore  I 
give  you  to  understand,  saith  the  apostle,  that  no  man 
speaking  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  calleth  Jesus  accursed; 
and  that  no  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but 
by  the  Holy  Ghost."  Through  living  experience  of 
his  power  in  breaking  up  the  strong  holds  of  sin  and 
satan ;  delivering  them  from  worse  than  Egyptian 
bondage  and  darkness,  and  bringing  them  into  the 
marvellous  light  of  the  Lord,  these  can  truly  say  that 
Jesus  is  their  Lord  and  Saviour;  and  while  they  keep 
under  the  government  of  his  Spirit,  they  can  never 
do  or  say  any  thing  that  derogates  from  his  divine 
character  or  offices,  nor  from  the  testimony  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures. 

After  stating  that  some  persons  confess  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  now  leads  and  influences  the  saints,  but  that  he 
does  it  only  by  enlightening  their  understandings  to  un- 
derstand and  believe  the  truths  delivered  in  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  Robert  Barclay  further  says,  This  opinion  is 
not  altogether  according  to  the  truth,  neither  does 
it  reach  the  fulness  of  it.  Because  there  are  many 
truths,  which,  as  they  are  applicable  to  individuals, 
and  most  needful  to  be  known  by  them,  are  in  no  wise 
to  be  found  in  the  Scriptures.  Besides,  the  Spirit  not 
only  subjectively  helps  us  to  discern  truths  elsewhere 
delivered,  but  also  objectively  presents  those  truths  to 
the  mind.  For  that  which  teaches  me  all  things,  and 
is  given  me  for  that  end,  without  doubt  presents  those 
things  to  my  mind  which  it  teaches  me.  It  is  not  said, 
it  shall  teach  you  how  to  understand  those  things  that 

4 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


are  written  [merely] ;  but  it  shall  teach  you  all  things. 
Again,  that  which  brings  all  things  to  my  remembjance 
must  needs  present  them  by  way  of  object."  This  is 
also  evident  from  the  nature  of  the  New  Covenant, 
which  is  expressed  in  divers  places :  "  As  for  me,  this 
is  my  covenant  with  them,  saith  the  Lord ;  my  Spirit 
that  is  upon  thee,  and  my  words  which  I  have  put  in  thy 
mouth,  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth,  nor  out  of  the 
mouth  of  thy  seed,  nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed's 
seed,  saith  the  Lord,  from  henceforth  and  forever." — 
**  The  perpetuity  of  this  promise  is  fully  expressed ;  and 
it  was  immediate,  for  there  is  no  mention  made  of 
any  medium.  He  says  not,  I  shall  by  means  of  such 
writings  or  books  convey  such  words  into  your 
mouths  ;  but  my  words,  I,  even  I,  saith  the  Lord,  have 
put  into  your  mouths.  This  must  be  objectively,  for 
the  words  put  into  the  mouth  are  the  object  presented 
by  him.  He  says  not,  the  words  which  ye  shall  see 
written,  my  Spirit  shall  only  enlighten  your  understand- 
ings to  assent  unto ;  but  positively,  my  words  which  I 
have  put  into  thy  mouth :  therefore  upon  whomsoever 
the  Spirit  remaineth  always,  and  putteth  words  into 
his  mouth,  him  doth  the  Spirit  teach  immediately, 
objectively  and  continually." 

*'  The  nature  of  the  New  Covenant  is  yet  more  amply 
expressed  in  Jeremiah,  and  repeated  by  the  apostle 
in  these  words ;  *  For  this  is  the  convenant  that  I  will 
make  with  the  house  of  Israel,  after  those  days,  saith 
the  Lord ;  I  will  put  my  laws  into  their  mind,  and 
write  them  in  their  hearts,  and  I  will  be  to  them  a 
God,  and  they  shall  be  to  me  a  people.  And  they  shall 
not  teach  every  man  his  neighbour,  and  every  man  his 
brother,  saying,  know  the  Lord ;  for  they  shall  all  know 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


27 


me,  from  the  least  to  the  greatest.'  The  object  here 
is  God's  law  placed  in  the  heart  and  written  in  the 
mind ;  from  whence  they  become  God's  people,  and 
are  brought  truly  to  know  him.  In  this  then  the  law 
is  distinguished  from  the  gospel :  the  law  before  was 
outward,  written  in  tables  of  stone,  but  it  is  now 
inward,  written  in  the  heart.  Of  old,  the  people  de- 
pended upon  their  priests  for  the  knowledge  of  God ; 
but  now  they  all  have  a  certain  and  sensible  know- 
ledge of  him.  How  much  then  are  they  deceived, 
who,  instead  of  making  the  gospel  preferable  to  the 
law,  have  made  the  condition  of  such  as  are  under 
the  gospel  far  worse.  For  no  doubt  it  is  a  far  better 
and  more  desirable  thing  to  converse  with  God  im- 
mediately, than  only  mediately,  as  being  a  higher  and 
more  glorious  dispensation ;  and  yet  these  men  ac- 
knowledge, that  many  under  the  law  had  immediate 
converse  with  God,  whereas  they  now  cry  that  it  is 
ceased." 

"  Under  the  law  there  was  the  holy  of  holies,  into 
which  the  high  priest  entered,  and  received  the  word 
of  the  Lord  immediately  from  betwixt  the  cherubims  ; 
so  that  the  people  could  then  certainly  know  the  mind 
of  the  Lord :  but  now,  according  to  these  men's 
judgment,  we  are  in  a  far  worse  condition  ;  having 
nothing  but  the  outward  letter  of  the  Scriptures  to 
guess  and  divine  from.  But  Jesus  Christ  hath  pro- 
mised us  better  things,  though  many  are  so  unwise  as 
not  to  believe  him,  even  to  guide  us  by  his  own  uner- 
ring Spirit ;  and  he  hath  rent  and  removed  the  veil, 
whereby  not  only  one,  and  that  once  a  year,  may 
enter;  but  all  of  us,  at  all  times,  have  access  unto  him 
as  often  as  we  draw  near  unto  him  w^ilh  pure  hearts. 


SJ8  THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 

He  reveals  his  will  unto  us  by  his  Spirit,  and  writes 
his  law  in  our  hearts.  And  where  the  knowledge  of 
God  is  put  into  the  mind  and  written  in  the  heart, 
there  the  object  of  faith  and  revelation  of  the  know- 
ledge of  God  is  inward,  immediate  and  objective;  and 
this  is  the  situation  of  every  true  Christian  under  the 
New  Covenant." 

In  replying  to  the  objection,  that  if  men  be  now 
immediately  led  and  ruled  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they 
may  add  new  Scriptures  of  equal  authority  with  the 
Bible,  and  that  every  one  may  bring  in  a  new  gospel 
according  to  his  fancy, — Robert  Barclay  observes, 
"We  have  shut  the  door  upon  all  such  doctrine,  af- 
firming that  the  Scriptures  give  a  full  and  ample  testi- 
mony to  all  the  principal  doctrines  of  the  Christian 
faith.  For  we  do  firmly  believe  that  there  is  no  other 
gospel  or  doctrine  to  be  preached,  but  that  which  was 
delivered  by  the  apostles ;  and  do  freely  subscribe  to 
that  saying.  Let  him  that  preacheth  any  other  gospel 
than  that  which  has  been  already  preached  by  the 
apostles,  and  according  to  the  Scriptures,  be  accursed. 
So  we  distinguish  between  a  revelation  of  a  new  gos^ 
pel  and  new  doctrines,  and  a  new  revelation  of  the 
good  old  gospel  and  doctrines ;  the  last  we  plead  for, 
but  the  first  we  utterly  deny.  For  we  firmly  believe, 
that  no  other  foundation  can  any  man  lay  than  that 
which  is  laid  already." 

William  Penn,  in  writing  on  the  same  subject,  says: 
"By  revelation  we  understand  the  discovery  and  illu- 
mination of  the  Light  and  Spirit  of  God,  relating  to 
those  things  that  properly  and  immediately  concern 
the  daily  information  and  satisfaction  of  our  souls,  in 
the  way  of  our  duty  to  him  and  our  neighbour.  We 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SbCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS.  29 


renounce  all  fantastical  and  whimsical  intoxications, 
or  any  pretence  to  the  revelation  of  new  matter,  in 
opposition  to  the  ancient  gospel  declared  by  Christ 
Jesus  and  his  apostles ;  and  therefore  not  the  revela- 
tion of  new  things,  but  the  renewed  revelation  of  the 
eternal  way  of  truth." 

That  true  Christians  in  the  present  day  are  to  be 
immediately  led  and  governed  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
dwelling  in  the  heart,  is  evident  from  many  Scripture 
promises  and  declarations.  Our  Lord  himself,  a  short 
time  before  his  ascension,  gave  this  promise  to  his  dis- 
ciples: "I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you 
another  Comforter,  that  he  may  abide  with  you  for- 
ever; even  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  whom  the  world  cannot 
receive,  because  it  seeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him : 
but  ye  know  him,  for  he  dwelleth  with  you,  and  shall 
be  in  you."  Again  he  says,  "  But  the  Comforter, 
which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send 
in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring 
all  things  to  your  remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have 
said  unto  you."  "  Howbeit,  when  He,  the  Spirit  of 
Truth,  is  come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth ;  for 
he  shall  not  speak  of  himself ;  but  whatsoever  he  shall 
hear,  that  shall  he  speak :  and  he  will  show  you  things 
to  come." 

We  are  here  told,  first,  who  this  is,  designated  by 
the  several  names  of  the  Comforter,  the  Spirit  of 
Truth,  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  sent  of  the  Father  in  the 
name  of  Christ ;  secondly,  where  he  is  to  be  found  ; 
He  dwelleth  with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you;  and  thirdly, 
what  his  work  is;  He  shall  teach  you  all  things,  bring 
all  things  to  your  remembrance,  and  guide  you  into 
all  truth. 

5 


30 


THE  ANCIEPTT  TESTIMONY  OF 


That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  to  dwell  in  the  saints  now,  and 
that  these  promises  were  not  made  to  the  immediate 
disciples  of  our  Lord  only,  but  to  all  who  receive  him 
"when  he  knocks  at  the  door,  and  obey  his  voice,  is 
proved  by  many  passages  in  the  Scriptures.  Paul  says 
to  the  Romans,  "Ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the 
Spirit,  if  so  be  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you ;"  and 
to  the  Corinthians,  "  Know  ye  not  that  your  body  is 
the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  w^hich  is  in  you,  which 
ye  have  of  God."  What  is  this  but  affirming  that 
they  in  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  dwells,  are  no  longer 
in  the  flesh,  or  of  those  who  please  not  God,  but  are 
become  Christians  indeed;  and  in  the  same  verse 
above  quoted,  he  tells  the  Romans  that  "  if  any  man 
have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his that 
is,  he  is  no  Christian.  He  then  who  acknowledges 
himself  a  stranger  to  the  work  and  government  of  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  in  his  own  heart,  has  not  attained  to 
the  least  measure  of  Christian  experience;  nay,  has 
not  so  much  as  embraced  the  Christian  religion,  not- 
withstanding all  he  may  otherwise  know  and  believe 
about  Christ,  or  how  much  soever  he  may  be  ac- 
quainted with  the  letter  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  If 
the  Spirit  is  taken  away,  Christianity  is  no  more  Chris- 
tianity, than  the  dead  body  of  a  man  is  a  man,  when 
the  soul  is  departed.  Whatsoever  is  excellent,  what- 
soever is  noble,  whatsoever  is  worthy,  whatsoever  is 
desirable  in  the  Christian  faith  is  ascribed  to  the 
Spirit. 

To  this,  true  Christians  in  all  ages  attribute  their 
strength  and  life:  by  it  they  declare  themselves  to  be 
illuminated,  converted,  regenerated  and  redeemed 
from  the  world.   By  it  they  are  strengthened  in  weak- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  31 


ness,  comforted  in  affliction,  armed  against  temptation, 
fortified  against  sufl^erings,  enabled  to  triumph  over 
their  persecutors,  and  to  hold  communion  with  God. 
It  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth;  it  was  the  Spirit  that 
gave  them  utterance ;  it  was  the  Spirit  by  which 
Stephen  spake,  so  that  the  Jews  were  not  able  to 
resist.  It  is  such  as  walk  after  the  Spirit  that  receive 
no  condemnation,  for  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in 
Christ  Jesus  makes  them  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death;  and  it  is  by  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  us 
that  we  are  redeemed  from  the  carnal  mind.  It  is  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  dwelling  in  us  that  quickeneth  our 
mortal  bodies;  it  is  through  the  Spirit  that  the  deeds 
of  the  body  are  mortified  and  life  obtained.  It  is  by 
the  Spirit  that  we  are  adopted  and  cry  Abba,  Father; 
for  it  is  the  Spirit  that  beareth  witness  with  our  spirits 
that  we  are  the  children  of  God.  It  is  the  Spirit  that 
helpeth  our  infirmities  and  maketh  intercession  for  us, 
with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered ;  and  it  is  by 
the  Spirit  that  the  glorious  things  which  God  hath  laid 
up  for  the  righteous,  which  neither  outward  ear  hath 
heard,  nor  outward  eye  seen,  nor  the  heart  of  man 
conceived  by  all  his  reasonings,  are  revealed  unto  us. 
It  is  by  this  Spirit  that  wisdom,  knowledge,  faith, 
tongues,  prophecies  are  imparted  to  man,  and  it  is  by 
it  that  we  are  all  baptized  into  one  body  and  made 
to  drink  into  one  cup.  In  a  word,  there  is  nothing 
relating  to  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  that  can  be 
rightly  performed  or  effectually  obtained,  without  it. 

This  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  comes  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  indeed  the  glory  of  the  gospel 
dispensation;  and  we  believe  that  if  the  professors  of 
the  Christian  name,  would  lay  aside  the  prejudices  of 


32 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OP 


education  and  their  preconceived  opinions,  and  con- 
sult the  testimony  of  the  Spirit  in  their  own  hearts, 
they  would  find  that  whatever  of  spiritual  comfort, 
strength,  or  other  benefit  they  partake  of,  is  not  to  be 
ascribed  to  their  forms  or  ceremonies,  nor  does  it 
come  through  them,  but  from  the  inward  operations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  that  if  they  were  weaned 
from  those  outward  observances,  and  their  attention 
and  dependence  placed  upon  this  blessed  source  of 
divine  consolation  and  strength,  they  would  be  made 
the  joyful  partakers  of  much  fuller  manifestations  of 
his  glorious  presence  and  power.  The  more  we  are 
brought  into  humble  child-like  reliance  upon  Christ, 
and  obedience  to  the  dictates  of  his  Spirit,  the  greater 
degrees  of  faith  will  be  granted  us  in  his  power  to 
deliver  us  out  of  all  evil,  in  his  wisdom  and  goodness 
to  guide  us  in  the  way  everlasting,  and  in  his  unfailing 
strength  to  enable  us  to  perform  the  will  of  God ;  by 
which  his  faithful  followers  will  grow  in  divine  know- 
ledge and  experience,  and  be  built  upon  Him,  the 
Rock  of  ages  and  the  foundation  of  many  generations. 

We  have  dwelt  the  more  largely  upon  this  doctrine, 
because  we  believe  it  to  be  of  great  practical  import- 
ance, and  are  apprehensive  that  it  is  not  sufficiently 
regarded  or  lived  up  to,  by  many  under  our  name.  It 
is  our  earnest  desire,  that  none  among  us  may  be 
drawn  into  the  adoption  of  sentiments,  or  the  use  of 
expressions  which  tend  to  weaken  a  belief  in  the  imme- 
diate guidance  of  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  or  put  the  Holy 
Scriptures  into  its  place  and  office,  thinking  that  by 
the  study  of  them  they  can  come  to  the  saving  know- 
ledge of  spiritual  things,  and  esteeming  them,  instead 
of  the  Spirit,  the  principal  means  for  the  enlightening, 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


33 


conversion  and  edification  of  mankind,  or  of  unfolding 
to  the  mind  the  divine  will  concerning  us. 

It  pleased  the  Lord,  by  his  blessed  Spirit,  to  give 
our  primitive  Friends  to  see  the  deadness  and  form- 
ality of  the  religious  professions  of  their  day;  to  bring 
them  out  of  the  observance  of  those  forms  and  cere- 
monies which  yielded  no  life  or  peace  to  their  panting 
souls,  and  to  gather  them  into  reverent,  silent  waiting 
upon  himself,  for  a  qualification  to  perform  that  wor- 
ship which  is  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  In  faithfully 
following  his  heavenly  guidance,  they  were  united  in 
the  faith  and  fellowship  of  the  gospel,  and  all  spake 
the  same  language,  come  out  of  what  society  or  from 
what  country  they  might ;  and  thus  harmoniously 
travailing  together  for  the  honour  of  God  and  the 
spread  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  they  were  like  a  city 
set  upon  a  hill  that  could  pot  be  hid ;  many  souls  were 
awakened  and  converted,  through  their  instrumentali- 
ty, and  joined  the  Society,  and  they  were  successfully 
engaged  in  diffusing  a  knowledge  of  the  doctrines  and 
testimonies  of  the  gospel  in  many  parts  of  the  world. 
May  we  all  be  sincerely  engaged  to  follow  them  as 
they  followed  Christ,  that  others  seeing  our  good 
works,  may  glorify  our  Father  w^ho  is  in  Heaven. 

THE  FALLEX  STATE  OF  MAX. 

Max  w^as  created  in  the  image  of  God,  capable  of 
understanding  the  divine  law,  and  holding  communion 
with  his  Creator.  Through  transgression  he  fell  from 
this  blessed  state,  and  consequently  lost  the  heavenly 
image.  His  posterity  come  into  the  world  in  the 
image  of  the  earthly,  and  until  renewed  by  the  quick- 


34 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


ening  power  of  the  grace  of  God,  they  are  fallen, 
degenerated,  and  dead  to  the  divine  life  in  which  Adam 
originally  stood,  and  are  subject  to  the  power,  nature 
and  seed  of  the  serpent;  and  not  only  their  words 
and  deeds,  but  their  imaginations  are  evil  perpetually 
in  the  sight  of  God,  as  proceeding  from  this  depraved 
and  wicked  seed.  Man  therefore  in  this  state  can 
know  nothing  aright  concerning  God;  his  thoughts 
and  conceptions  of  spiritual  things,  until  he  is  dis- 
joined from  this  evil  seed,  and  united  to  the  divine 
light,  are  unprofitable  to  himself  and  to  others. 

Although  we  are  not  punishable  for  Adam's  sin,  and 
do  not  partake  of  his  guilt  until  we  make  it  our  own 
by  transgression,  yet  we  cannot  suppose  that,  de- 
scended from  Adam,  man  has  any  natural  light,  or 
moral  faculty  pertaining  to  his  constitution,  that  can 
give  him  a  sense  of  his  fallen  state,  or  bring  him  out 
of  it  into  that  spiritual  fellowship  and  communion 
with  God,  which  Adam  fell  from.  Whatever  real 
good  any  man  doth,  it  proceeds  from  the  seed  of  God 
in  him  as  a  new  visitation  of  life,  in  order  to  bring 
him  out  of  his  fallen  state ;  which  though  it  be  placed 
in  him,  is  not  of  him. 

Where  the  apostle  asserts  that  the  Gentiles  do  by 
nature  the  things  contained  in  the  law,  he  is  not  to  be 
understood  as  speaking  of  man's  own  nature,  which 
he  hath  as  man,  for  this  would  make  him  contradict 
himself;  since  he  declares  that  the  natural  man  re- 
ceiveth  not  the  things  of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness 
to  him,  neither  can  he  know  them,  for  they  are  spirit- 
ually discerned.  The  nature  by  which  the  Gentiles 
did  the  things  of  the  law,  cannot  therefore  be  the  fallen 
corrupt  nature,  but  the  renewed  spiritual  nature,  pro- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


35 


ceeding  from  the  regenerating  power  of  divine  grace, 
which  is  evident  from  what  follows — "  these  having 
not  the  law,  that  is  outwardly,  are  a  law  unto  them- 
selves, w^hich  show  the  work  of  the  law  written  in 
their  hearts."  Now  the  law^  of  God  is  among  the 
things  of  God, — and  the  apostle  says,  the  law  is  spirit- 
ual, holy,  just  and  good ;  and  the  Scriptures  declare, 
that  the  writing  of  the  divine  law^  in  the  heart,  is  an 
essential  part  of  the  New  Covenant  dispensation,  and 
therefore  it  can  be  no  part  of  man's  nature. 

However  early  children  give  evidence  of  the  effects 
of  the  fall,  and  of  a  sinful  nature,  they  cannot  be 
sinners  from  their  birth,  because  there  can  be  no  sin 
where  there  is  no  transgression ;  and  where  there  is 
not  a  capacity  to  receive  a  law,  it  cannot  be  trans- 
gressed. The  testimony  of  the  apostle  is  very  posi- 
tive to  this  point;  "Where  no  law  is  there  is  no  trans- 
gression "  but  sin  is  not  imputed  when  there  is  no 
law."  To  account  a  child  guilty  or  obnoxious  to 
punishment,  merely  for  an  offence  committed  by  its 
parents,  before  it  could  have  any  consciousness  of 
being,  is  inconsistent  both  with  justice  and  mercy; 
therefore  no  infant  can  be  born  with  guilt  upon  its 
head.  Those  are  by  nature  children  of  wrath,  who 
walk  according  to  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air, 
the  spirit  that  worketh  in  the  hearts  of  the  children 
of  disobedience.  Here  the  apostle  gives  their  evil 
walking,  and  not  anything  which  is  not  reduced  to  act, 
as  a  reason  of  their  being  children  of  wrath.  Besides 
the  natural  alienation  from  the  internal  life  of  God,  as 
they  become  capable  of  distinguishing  the  monitions  of 
truth  in  their  consciences,  the  bonds  of  corruption  are 
often  strengthened  by  habitual  indulgence  of  the  car- 


36 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


nal  propensities  against  the  sense  of  duty,  and  thus 
all  who  have  arrived  at  such  a  degree  of  maturity  as 
to  be  convinced  of  right  and  wrong,  have  sinned  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God. 

But  whatever  Adam's  posterity  lost  through  him,  is 
fully  made  up  to  them  in  Christ,  and  undoubtedly  his 
mercy  and  goodness,  and  the  extent  of  his  propitia- 
tion, are  applicable  to  infants,  who  have  not  person- 
ally offended,  as  to  adults  who  have ;  and  little  chil- 
dren who  are  taken  away  before  they  have  sinned, 
may  with  perfect  confidence  be  resigned  as  entirely 
safe  in  the  arms  of  their  Saviour,  who  declared  "  of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven."* 

ON  THE  UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  LIGHT  OF  CHRIST. 

In  reference  to  the  universality  of  this  divine  light 
and  grace,  we  believe  in  accordance  with  the  testi- 
mony of  Robert  Barclay;  "That  God,  who,  out  of 
his  infinite  love  sent  his  Son  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
into  the  world,  who  tasted  death  for  every  man,  hath 
given  to  every  man,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  Turk  or 
Scythian,  Indian  or  barbarian,  of  whatsoever  nation, 
country  or  place,  a  certain  day  or  time  of  visitation, 
during  which  it  is  possible  for  him  to  be  saved  and  to 
partake  of  the  benefits  of  Christ's  death.  That  for 
this  end  he  hath  communicated  to  every  man,  a  mea- 
sure of  the  light  of  his  own  Son,  a  measure  of  grace 
or  of  the  Spirit,  which  the  Scripture  expresses  by 
several  names,  as  sometimes  of  '  the  seed  of  the  king- 
dom,' *  the  light  that  makes  all  things  manifest,'  '  the 
word  of  God,'  or  '  the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit 

*  See  Barclay's  Apology  and  Phipps'  Original  and  Present  State  of  Man. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


37 


given  to  profit  withal,'  'a  talent,'  'a  little  leaven,' 
*  the  gospel  preached  in  every  creature.' 

"  That  God,  in  and  by  this  light  and  seed,  invites, 
calls,  exhorts,  and  strives  with  every  man,  in  order  to 
save  him ;  which,  as  it  is  received  and  not  resisted, 
works  the  salvation  of  all,  even  of  those  who  are 
ignorant  of  the  death  and  sufferings  of  Christ  and  of 
Adam's  fall ;  both  by  bringing  them  to  a  sense  of  their 
own  misery,  and  to  be  sharers  in  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  inwardly;  and  by  making  them  partakers  of 
his  resurrection  in  becoming  holy,  pure  and  righteous, 
and  recovered  out  of  their  sins.  By  which  also  are 
saved  they  that  have  the  knowledge  of  Christ  out- 
wardly, in  that  it  opens  their  understandings  rightly 
to  use  and  apply  the  things  delivered  in  the  Scriptures 
and  to  receive  the  saving  use  of  them.  But  that  this 
may  be  resisted  and  rejected  by  both ;  in  which  then, 
God  is  said  to  be  resisted  and  pressed  down,  and 
Christ  to  be  again  crucified  and  put  to  open  shame, 
in  and  among  men :  and  to  those  who  thus  resist  and 
refuse  him,  he  becomes  their  condemnation." 

"  We  do  not  understand  this  divine  principle  to  be 
any  part  of  man'^^QiaRire,  nor  yet  to  be  any  relic  of 
any  good  which  Adam  lost  by  his  fall,  in  that  we 
make  it  a  distinct  and  separate  thing  from  man's  soul 
and  all  the  faculties  of  it.--  There  are  some  that  lean 
to  the  doctrine  of  'Socinus  or  Pelagius,  who  persuade 
themselves  through  mistake  as  if  this  divine  light 
which  we  preach  up,  were  some  natural  power  or  fa- 
culty of  the  soul,  and  that  we  only  differ  from  them  in 
the  wording  of  it,  and  not  in  the  thing  itself.  Whereas 
there  can  be  no  greater*  difference  than  is  betwixt  us 
in  that  matter ;  for  we  certainly  know  that  this  light 


38 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


of  which  we  speak,  is  not  only  distinct,  but  of  a  dif- 
ferent nature,  from  the  soul  of  man  and  its  faculties." 

After  treating  at  large  upon  the  universal  appear- 
ance of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  all  men,  he  adds : 

"  By  this  we  do  not  at  all  intend  to  equal  ourselves 
to  that  holy  Man,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  was 
born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  in  whom  all  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  dwelt  bodily, — so  neither  do  we  destroy 
the  reality  of  his  present  existence.  For  though  we 
affirm  that  Christ  dwells  in  us,  yet  not  immediately,  but 
mediately  as  he  is  in  that  seed  which  is  in  us;  where- 
as He,  the  eternal  Word,  which  was  with  God  and  was 
God,  dwelt  immediately  in  that  holy  Man.  He  then 
is  as  the  head  and  we  as  the  members — he  is  the  vine 
and  we  the  branches." 

And  again,  "We  do  not  hereby  intend  any  ways 
to  lessen  or  derogate  from  the  atonement  and  sacrifice 
of  Jesus  Christ,  but  on  the  contrary  do  magnify  and 
exalt  it.  For  as  we  .believe  all  those  things  to  have 
been  certainly  transacted  which  are  recorded  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  concerning  the  birth,  life,  miracles, 
sufferings,  resurrection  and  ascension  of  Christ,  so  we 
do  also  believe  that  it  is  the  duty^i^f  every  one  to  be- 
lieve it,  to  whom  it  pleases  God  to  reveal  the  same, 
and  to  bring  them  to  the  knowledge  of  it;  yea,  we 
believe  it  w^ere  damnable  lunbelief  not  to  believe  it 
when  so  declared  ;  but  to  resist  that  Holy  seed,  which, 
as  minded  would  lead  and  incline  every  one  to  believe 
it,  as  it  is  offered  unto  them  ;  though  it  revealeth  not  in 
every  one  the  outward  and  explicit  knowledge  of  it, 
yet  it  always  assenteth  to  it,  where  it  is  declared. 

"  Nevertheless,  as  we  firmly  believe  it  was  neces- 
sary that  Christ  should  come,  that  by  his  death  and 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


39 


sufferings  he  might  offer  up  himself  a  sacrifice  to  God 
for  our  sins;  who,  his  own-self  bare  our  sins  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree,  so  we  believe  that  the  remission  of 
sins  which  any  partake  of,  is  only  in  and  by  virtue  of 
that  most  satisfactory  sacrifice  and  no  otherwise ;  for 
it  is  by  the  obedience  of  that  one  that  the  free  gift  is 
come  upon  all  to  justification." 

We  have  thought  it  proper  thus  to  revive  our  an- 
cient and  acknowledged  doctrine,  concerning  the  uni- 
versality and  efficacy  of  the  manifestation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  or  the  Light  of  Christ,  which  we  believe 
is,  in  mercy,  extended  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  to 
every  man  without  distinction  of  nation  or  colour, 
during  his  day  of  visitation ;  because  in  reference  to 
those  who  have  not  been  favoured  with  the  knowledge 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  opinions  are  afloat,  the  tenden- 
cy of  which  is  to  obscure  our  well  known  principle;  re- 
presenting the  guide  of  such,  in  the  things  pertaining 
to  salvation,  to  be  a  moral  faculty,  the  light  of  nature, 
or  a  sense  of  the  moral  law,  implanted  in  the  consti- 
tution of  man,  6zc.,  and  denying  that  the  declarations 
of  the  apostle  where  he  says,  "  the  manifestation  of 
the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit  withal,"  and, 
"The  grace  of  God  which  bringeth  salvation  hath 
appeared  unto  all  men,"  have  any  reference  whatever 
to  the  circumstances  of  mankind  at  large,  and  that  it 
is  very  doubtful  whether  the  testimony  of  the  evan- 
gehst  respecting  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  "  that  was 
the  true  Light  which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh 
into  the  world,"  has  any  such  application — sentiments 
wdth  which  we  have  no  unity,  being  repugnant  to  our 
Christian  faith. 

Another  reason  for  setting  forth  afresh  our  belief 


40 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


On  this  point  is,  that  some  modern  writers,  under  the 
pretext  of  upholding  the  inward  hght,  are  promulga- 
ting a  system  which  gives  that  appellation  to  a  phan- 
tom of  their  own  creating ;  and  which  they  also  de- 
signate as  the  light  of  universal  reason,  the  voice  of 
universal  conscience,  the  instinct  of  Deity,  and  other 
similar  terms ;  which  they  represent  as  a  redeeming 
principle  implanted  in  man's  nature,  capable  of  spring- 
ing up  and  producing  all  that  man  can  know  of  God, 
of  duty  and  the  soul ;  and  that  the  soul  of  man  is 
itself  a  living  fountain  of  immortal  truth.  Such  de- 
lusive notions  are  entirely  at  variance  with  our  Chris- 
tian faith,  and  appear  to  us  no  other  than  the  refined 
speculations  of  a  disguised  deism,  which  virtually 
denies  the  truth  of  divine  revelation,  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  and  his  various  offices  in  the  work  of  man's 
salvation. 

Our  religious  Society  has  never  professed  or  be- 
lieved in  any  other  principle  or  power  in  man,  to 
redeem  him  from  evil,  than  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  hght 
of  Christ  or  the  grace  of  God,  which  shines  in  and 
appears  unto  all  men,  and  was  purchased  for  us  by 
the  sufferings  and  death  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ; 
and  we  consider  it  a  gross  abuse  and  perversion  of 
our  Christian  character  and  profession,  to  connect 
them  with  the  erroneous  notions  above  alluded  to. 

Various  are  the  specious  forms,  in  which  infidelity 
is  disguised  in  the  present  day,  in  order  to  conceal  its 
real  character,  and  recommend  it  to  the  adoption  of 
the  inexperienced  and  unwatchful ;  and  the  nearer  it 
counterfeits  the  truth,  the  greater  is  the  danger  to  be 
apprehended  from  its  approaches. 

When  once  the  mind  is  set  afloat  on  the  troubled 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  41 

sea  of  creaturely  imagination  and  vain  speculation, 
no  matter  at  what  point  in  religion  it  may  be  aiming, 
it  is  liable  to  be  tossed  about  by  every  wind  that  blows, 
and  to  be  carried  away  by  every  plausible  theory  or 
argument,  which  may  be  started  by  men  of  greater 
cunning  or  more  powerful  intellect  than  its  own ;  and 
having  parted  from  its  heavenly  Pilot,  it  is  in  immi- 
nent danger  of  making  shipwreck  of  faith  and  a  good 
conscience. 

We  feel  it  to  be  a  duty  to  warn  and  caution  all 
our  members  against  imbibing  or  adopting  sentiments, 
which  would  tend,  in  any  wise,  to  shake  their  confi- 
dence in  the  truths  of  the  Christian  religion  as  they 
are  recorded  in  Holy  Scripture ;  and  to  be  careful 
not  to  put  themselves  in  the  way  of  hearing  or  read- 
ing any  thing  which  would  have  such  a  tendency;  it 
having  been  found  by  sorrowful  experience,  that  some, 
who  thought  themselves  fortified  against  a  spirit  of 
unbelief,  have  had  their  rehgious  principles  gradually 
undermined,  by  thus  needlessly  exposing  themselves 
to  temptation. 

ON  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES. 

Our  religious  Society  has  always  believed  that  the 
Holy  Scriptures  were  written  by  divine  inspiration, 
and  contain  a  declaration  of  all  the  fundamental  doc- 
trines and  principles  relating  to  eternal  life  and  salva- 
tion; and  that  whatsoever  doctrine  or  practice  is  con- 
trary to  them,  is  to  be  rejected  as  false  and  erroneous ; 
that  they  are  a  declaration  of  the  mind  and  will  of  God 
in  and  to  the  several  ages  in  which  they  were  written, 
and  are  obligatory  on  us,  and  are  to  be  read,  believed 

6 


42 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


and  fulfilled  through  the  assistance  of  divine  grace. 
We  esteem  it  an  unspeakable  favour  that  it  has  pleased 
the  Lord  to  preserve  them  to  us,  and  the  more  we 
come  under  the  government  of  the  same  spirit  which 
inspired  the  holy  men  who  wrote  them,  the  more  truly 
shall  we  prize  them,  and  delight  to  read  and  meditate 
upon  the  precious  truths  they  contain. 

It  continues  to  be  our  unabated  concern  to  encou- 
rage all  our  members  to  practice  the  frequent  perusal 
of  them,  with  their  hearts  turned  to  the  Lord,  that  so 
he  may  be  pleased  to  open  their  understandings  to 
receive  that  spiritual  benefit  which  he  designs  they 
should  convey,  whether  it  be  in  doctrine,  correction, 
reproof,  or  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the  man 
of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  works.  We  also  exhort  parents  and  those  who 
have  the  care  of  children,  to  educate  them  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  which  plainly  set  forth 
the  miraculous  birth,  holy  life,  wonderful  works,  meri- 
torious death,  resurrection,  glorious  ascension,  media- 
tion and  intercession,  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  their 
Saviour  and  Redeemer,  and  also  the  blessed  gift  of 
his  light  and  grace,  freely  dispensed  to  every  man  to 
profit  withal. 

While  we  thus  highly  value  those  sacred  records, 
and  recommend  them  to  the  diligent  attention  of  all,  we 
also  feel  jealous  for  the  honour  of  our  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter, and  for  the  glory  of  the  gospel  dispensation ;  and 
it  is  our  desire,  that  in  setting  forth  the  benefits  confer- 
red upon  us  through  the  Scriptures,  our  members  may 
be  very  careful  not  to  be  drawn  into  the  adoption  of 
sentiments,  or  the  use  of  terms  or  phrases,  common 
with  many  in  our  day,  which  ascribe  to  the  Scriptures, 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  43 


instead  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  the  office  of  bringing 
the  soul  under  a  sense  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of 
sin,  of  enlightening  and  converting  it,  of  unfolding  all 
the  duties  it  is  required  to  perform,  and  bringing  it  to 
the  saving  knowledge  of  God  and  Christ. 

We  believe  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  be  the  words  of 
God,  written  by  holy  men  as  they  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost;  but  to  the  Saviour  of  men,  and  not  to  the 
Bible,  belong  the  titles  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  Bread 
of  Life,  and  the  Light.  It  is  He  only,  who  can  im- 
part to  the  soul  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  and  the 
bread  and  water  of  life ;  who  reveals  himself  and  the 
divine  law  in  the  hearts  of  his  humble  and  obedient 
children;  and  if  we  would  partake  of  the  benefits  of 
gospel  truth,  and  come  to  that  knowledge  of  the  Su- 
preme Being  and -his  beloved  Son,  w^hich  is  saving,  it 
is  indispensably  necessary  that  we  draw  near  to  Him, 
through  the  Spirit,  who  is  the  way,  the  truth  and  the 
life.  So  far  from  any  advantage  arising  from  setting 
the  Holy  Scriptures  above  their  true  place,  and  that 
which  they  claim  for  themselves,  we  believe  that  it  is 
productive  of  serious  injury,  and  may  tend  to  with- 
draw the  faith  and  attention  of  the  visited  soul  from 
the  inward  appearance  and  teachings  of  Christ,  the 
incorruptible  Seed  and  Word  of  God,  by  whom  alone 
we  can  be  quickened,  regenerated  and  made  alive 
unto  God. 

In  the  progress  of  this  great  work,  he  is  often  pleased 
to  make  use  of  the  sacred  records  as  a  means  to  in- 
struct, encourage  and  comfort  the  aw-akened  mind; 
which,  however,  is  not  to  turn  its  attention  to  them  as 
the  guide,  and  the  source  of  divine  light  and  life,  but 
lo  draw  it  unto  himself,  that  it  may  have  life,  and  ex- 


44 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OP 


perience  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  *'  All  thy  chil- 
dren shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord,  and  great  shall  be 
the  peace  of  thy  children."  "  Search  the  Scriptures, 
said  our  blessed  Lord,  to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  for  in 
them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life ;  and  they  are  they 
which  testify  of  me ;  but  ye  will  not  come  unto  me, 
that  ye  might  have  life."  It  is  our  sincere  engage- 
ment that  we  may  be  individually  concerned  to  hold 
and  use  all  the  gifts,  and  the  means,  which  our  hea- 
venly Father  has  graciously  provided  for  our  conver- 
sion and  furtherance  in  the  way  of  life  and  salvation, 
in  due  reverence  and  esteem.  That  to  Him,  and  to 
his  beloved  Son,  and  to  the  word  of  his  grace,  the  first 
and  highest  place  and  honour,  may  ever,  with  all  hu- 
mility, obedience  and  fear,  be  ascribed;  and  to  the 
Holy  Scriptures  the  second  place,  as  a  means  for 
which  we  are  bound  to  be  humbly  thankful  to  him, 
and  dihgently  to  improve  by  the  assistance  of  his 
Spirit,  to  our  everlasting  advantage. 

Impressed  with  the  importance  of  these  views,  and 
with  the  danger  of  being  drawn  away  from  a  clear 
and  full  acknowledgment  of  our  doctrine  herein,  we 
are  engaged  to  revive  the  following  passages  from  the 
Apology,  viz : 

"  From  these  revelations  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  the 
saints,  have  proceeded  the  Scriptures  of  Truth,  which 
contain  a  faithful  historical  account  of  the  actings  of 
God's  people  in  divers  ages,  with  many  singular  pro- 
vidences attending  them ;  a  prophetical  account  of 
several  things,  whereof  some  are  already  past  and 
some  yet  to  come ;  also  an  ample  account  of  all  the 
chief  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  held  forth  in 
divers  precious  declarations  and  exhortations,  which, 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS 


45 


by  the  moving  of  God's  Spirit,  were  upon  sundry  oc- 
casions spoken  and  written  unto  some  churches  and 
their  pastors.  Ne\^ertheless,  because  they  are  only  a 
declaration  of  the  Fountain  and  not  the  Fountain  itself, 
they  are  not  to  be  esteemed  the  principal  ground  of 
all  truth  and  knowledge,  nor  yet  the  adequate  primary 
rule  of  faith  and  manners.  Yet  because  they  give  a 
true  and  faithful  testimony  of  the  first  foundation,  they 
are,  and  may  be  esteemed  a  secondary  rule,  subor- 
dinate to  the  Spirit,  from  which  they  have  all  their 
excellency  and  certainty.  For  as  by  the  inward  tes- 
timony of  the  Spirit  we  do  alone  truly  know  them,  so 
they  testify  that  the  Spirit  is  that  guide  by  which  the 
saints  are  led  into  all  truth ;  therefore  according  to 
the  Scriptures,  the  Spirit  is  the  first  and  principal 
leader.  Seeing  then  we  do  receive  and  believe  the 
Scriptures,  because  they  proceeded  from  the  Spirit, 
for  the  same  reason  is  the  Spirit  more  originally  and 
principally  the  rule. 

"  Though  then  we  do  acknowledge  the  Scriptures 
to  be  very  heavenly  and  divine  writings,  and  the  use 
of  them  to  be  very  comfortable  and  necessary  to  the 
church  of  Christ;  and  admire,  and  give  praises  to  the 
Lord  for  his  wonderful  providence  in  preserving  these 
writings  so  pure  and  uncorrupted  as  we  have  them, 
through  so  long  a  night  of  apostacy,  to  be  a  testimony 
of  his  truth  against  the  wickedness  and  abominations 
even  of  those  whom  he  made  instrumental  in  preserv- 
ing them,  so  that  they  have  kept  them  to  be  a  witness 
against  themselves;  yet  we  may  not  call  them  the 
principal  Fountain  of  all  truth  and  knowledge,  nor  yet 
the  first  adequate  rule  of  faith  and  manners,  because 
the  principal  Fountain  of  truth,  must  be  the  Truth 

5 


46 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


itself,  whose  certainty  and  authority  depend  not  upon 
another. 

"  If  by  the  Spirit  we  can  only  come  to  the  true  know- 
ledge of  God  ; — if  by  the  Spirit  we  are  to  be  led  into 
all  truth,  and  so  be  taught  of  all  things;  then  the  Spirit 
and  not  the  Scriptures,  is  the  foundation  and  ground 
of  all  truth  and  knowledge,  and  the  primary  rule  of 
faith  and  manners.  The  very  nature  of  the  gospel 
declareth  that  the  Scriptures  cannot  be  the  only  and 
chief  rule  of  Christians,  else  there  would  be  no  dif- 
ference between  the  law  and  the  gospel." 

"  There  are  numberless  thin^rs  with  reo^ard  to  their 
circumstances  which  particular  Christians  may  be 
concerned  in,  for  which  there  can  be  no  particular 
rule  had  in  the  Scriptures ;  therefore  the  Scriptures 
cannot  be  a  rule  to  them  [in  those  things.]  As  for 
instance,  some  are  called  to  the  ministry  of  the 
word :  Paul  says  there  was  a  necessity  laid  up'on 
him  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  woe  is  unto  me  if  I 
preach  it  not.  If  it  be  necessary  that  there  be  now 
ministers  of  the  church  as  well  as  then,  there  is  the 
same  necessity  upon  some  more  than  upon  others  to 
occupy  this  place ;  which  necessity,  as  it  may  be  in- 
cumbent upon  some  particular  persons,  the  Scriptures 
neither  doth  nor  can  declare. 

"  If  it  be  said  the  qualifications  of  a  minister  are 
found  in  the  Scriptures,  and  by  applying  these  qualifi- 
cations to  myself  I  may  know  whether  I  be  fit  for  such 
a  place  or  not,  I  answer;  The  qualifications  of  a 
bishop  or  minister,  as  they  are  mentioned  both  in  the 
Epistle  to  Timothy  and  that  to  Titus,  are  such  as 
may  be  found  in  a  private  Christian,  yea,  which  ought 
in  some  measure  to  be  in  every  true  Christian;  so  that 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


47 


this  giveth  a  man  no  certainty.    Every  capacity  to 
an  office  gives  me  not  a  sufficient  call  to  it.    Again  ; 
by  what  rule  shall  I  judge  if  I  be  so  qualified?  How 
do  I  know  that  I  am  sober,  meek,  holy,  harmless? 
Is  it  not  the  testimony  of  the  Spirit  in  my  conscience 
that  must  assure  me  hereof?     And  suppose  I  was 
qualified  and  called,  yet  what  Scripture  rule  shall  in- 
form me  whether  it  be  my  duty  to  preach  in  this  or 
in  that  place,  in  France  or  England,  Holland  or 
Germany?    Whether  I  shall  take  up  my  time  in  con- 
firming the  faithful,  reclaiming  heretics,  or  converting 
infidels,  as  also  in  writing  epistles  to  this  or  that 
church?    The  general  rules  of  the  Scriptures  to  be 
diligent  in  my  duty;  to  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God, 
and  for  the  good  of  his  church,  can  give  me  no  light 
in  this  thing ;  seeing  two  different  things  may  both 
have  a  respect  to  that  way;  yet  I  may  commit  a  great 
error  and  offence  in  doing  the  one,  when  I  am  called 
to  the  other.    If  Paul,  w^hen  his  face  was  turned  by 
the  Lord  toward  Jerusalem,  had  gone  back  to  Achaia 
or  Macedonia,  he  might  have  supposed  he  could  have 
done  God  more  acceptable  service  in  preaching  and 
confirming  the  churches,  than  in  being  shut  up  in 
prison  in  Judea;  but  w^ould  God  have  been  pleased 
herewith?   Nay — certainly.   Obedience  is  better  than 
sacrifice,  and  it  is  not  our  doing  that  which  is  good 
simply,  that  pleaseth  God,  but  that  good  which  he 
willeth  us  to  do. 

"Moreover,  that  which,  of  all  things,  is  most  need- 
ful for  a  Christian  to  know,  viz:  whether  he  really  be 
in  the  faith  and  an  heir  of  salvation  or  not,  the  Scrip- 
ture can  give  him  no  certainty  in,  neither  can  it  be  a 
rule  to  him.    That  this  knowledge  is  exceedingly  de- 


48 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OP 


sirable  and  comfortable  all  do  unanimously  acknow- 
ledge; besides,  it  is  especially  commanded,  *  Examine 
yourselves  whether  ye  be  in  the  faith;  prove  your  own 
selves.  Know  ye  not  your  own  selves,  how  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  be  reprobates  V  *  Where- 
fore the  rather,  brethren,  give  all  diligence  to  make 
your  caUing  and  election  sure/  Now  I  say,  what 
Scripture  rule  can  assure  me  that  I  have  true  faith, 
and  that  my  calling  and  election  are  sure  V 

After  examining  various  suggestions  he  says ; 

"  Moreover  the  Scripture  itself,  wherein  we  are  so 
earnestly  pressed  to  seek  this  assurance,  does  not  at 
all  affirm  itself  a  rule  sufficient  to  give  it,  but  wholly 
ascribeth  it  to  the  Spirit.  *  The  Spirit  itself  beareth 
witness  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of 
God.'  *  Hereby  know  we  that  we  dwell  in  him,  and 
he  in  us,  because  he  hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit.'  *  And 
it  is  the  Spirit  that  beareth  witness,  because  the  Spirit 
is  truth.' " 

"  If  it  then  be  asked  whether  I  think  hereby  to  ren- 
der the  Scriptures  altogether  uncertain  and  useless,  I 
answer,  not  at  all :  Provided,  that  to  the  Spirit,  from 
which  they  came,  be  granted  that  place  which  the 
Scriptures  themselves  give  it,  I  do  freely  concede  to 
the  Scriptures  the  second  place,  even  whatsoever  they 
say  of  themselves,  which  the  apostle  Paul  chiefly 
mentions  in  two  places,  viz :  *  Whatsoever  things 
were  written  aforetime,  were  written  for  our  learning, 
that  we  through  patience  and  comfort  of  the  Scrip- 
tures might  have  hope.'  '  The  Holy  Scriptures  are 
able  to  make  wise  unto  salvation,  through  faith  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus.  All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration 
of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


49 


correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the 
man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto 
all  good  works.' 

"  Secondly :  God  hath  seen  meet  that  herein  we 
should  see  as  in  a  looking  glass,  the  conditions  and 
experiences  of  the  saints  of  old,  that  finding  our  expe- 
rience to  answer  to  theirs,  we  might  thereby  be  the 
more  confirmed  and  comforted,  and  our  hope  of  ob- 
taining the  same  end  strengthened;  that  observing  the 
providences  attending  them — seeing  the  snares  they 
were  liable  to,  and  beholding  their  deliverances,  we 
may  thereby  be  made  wise  unto  salvation,  and  sea- 
sonably reproved  and  instructed  in  righteousness. — 
This  is  the  great  w^ork  of  the  Scriptures,  and  their 
service  to  us,  that  we  may  witness  them  fulfilled  in  us, 
and  so  discern  the  stamp  of  God's  Spirit  and  ways 
upon  them,  by  the  inward  acquaintance  w^e  have  with 
the  same  Spirit  and  work  in  our  hearts.  The  pro- 
phecies of  the  Scriptures  are  also  very  comfortable 
and  profitable  to  us,  as  the  same  Spirit  enlightens  us 
to  observe  them  fulfilled  and  to  be  fulfilled.  In  all  this 
it  is  to  be  observed,  that  it  is  only  the  spiritual  man 
that  can  make  a  right  use  of  them  :  they  are  able  to 
make  the  man  of  God  perfect;  so  it  is  not  the  natural 
man.  And  whatsoever  was  written  aforetime  was 
written  for  our  comfort — our,  that  is,  for  the  believ- 
ers, or  for  the  saints ;  concerning  such  the  apostle 
speaks.  Peter  plainly  declares,  that  the  unstable  and 
unlearned  wrest  them  to  their  own  destruction.  These 
were  they  who  wxre  unlearned  in  the  divine  and  hea- 
venly learning  of  the  Spirit,  not  in  human  and  school 
literature,  in  w^hich  we  may  safely  presume  that  Peter 
himself,  being  a  fisherman,  had  no  skill." 

7 


60 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


In  setting  forth  the  use  and  service  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  to  the  church,  as  a  secondary  rule,  subordi- 
nate to  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  he  further  says,  "  We  do 
look  upon  them  as  the  only  fit  outward  judge  of  con- 
troversies among  Christians,  and  that  whatsoever  doc- 
trine is  contrary  unto  their  testimony,  may  therefore 
justly  be  rejected  as  false.  And  for  our  parts  we  are 
very  willing  that  all  our  doctrines  and  practices  be 
tried  by  them  ;  which  we  never  refused,  nor  ever 
shall,  in  all  controversies  with  our  adversaries,  as  the 
judge  and  test.  We  shall  also  be  very  willing  to  ad- 
mit it  as  a  positive  certain  maxim,  that  whatsoever 
any  do,  pretending  to  the  Spirit,  which  is  contrary  to 
the  Scriptures,  be  accounted  and  reckoned  a  delusion 
of  the  devil.  For  as  we  never  lay  claim  to  the 
Spirit's  leading,  that  we  may  cover  ourselves  in  any 
thing  that  is  evil,  so  we  know  that  as  every  evil  con- 
tradicts the  Scriptures,  so  it  doth  also  the  Spirit  in  the 
first  place  from  which  the  Scriptures  came,  and  whose 
motions  can  never  contradict  one  another,  though 
they  may  appear  sometimes  to  be  contradictory  to  the 
blind  eye  of  the  natural  man." 


JUSTIFICATION. 

The  love  of  ease  naturally  leads  men  to  prefer  an 
assent  to  the  truths  of  religion,  rather  than  submission 
to  the  practical  operation  of  it  on  the  heart.  It  is 
much  easier  to  profess  faith  in  what  Christ  has  suf- 
fered an3  done  for  us,  than  to  yield  obedience  to  the 
daily  cross,  and  endure  the  portion  of  suffering  inse- 
parable from  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  which 
the  corruptions  of  the  heart  are  removed. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  51 


From  the  rise  of  the  Society,  Friends  have  unequi- 
vocally declared  their  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  the  pro- 
pitiatory offering  which  our  Lord  voluntarily  made 
of  himself  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.  George 
Fox  early  testified  respecting  his  crucifixion,  that  "at 
that  time,  the  sins  of  all  mankind  were  upon  him,  and 
their  iniquities  and  transgressions,  with  which  he  was 
wounded  ;  which  he  was  to  bear  and  to  be  an  offering 
for  as  he  was  man,  but  died  not  as  he  was  God  ;  so  in 
that  he  died  for  all  men,  tasting  death  for  every  man, 
he  was  an  offerinoj  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world." 
But  while  they  fully  believed  that  remission  of  sin  and 
reconcihation  with  God  was  obtained  onlv  through 
Christ  and  his  most  satisfactory  offering,  they  also 
believed  that  no  man  was  justified  while  he  continued 
in  sin,  whatever  might  be  his  profession  of  faith.  These 
devoted  ministers  of  the  gospel  as  it  was  opened  to  them 
in  its  primitive  purity,  accordingly  preached  in  life  and 
doctrine,  the  indispensable  necessity  of  holiness,  with- 
out which  the  Scriptures  declare,  that  no  man  shall 
see  the  Lord ;  and  they  placed  justification  where  the 
apostle  places  it,  in  connection  with  being  washed 
and  sanctified,  but  not  as  preceding  sanctification. 

When  they  went  forth  in  their  ministry,  they  found 
the  different  professors  pleading  for  the  impractica- 
bility of  being  free  from  sin  in  this  life,  while  they 
considered  themselves  justified  by  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus ;  alleging  that  our  sins  were  imputed  to  him,  that 
he  suffered  instead  of  us  the  penalty  of  infinite  wrath 
and  vengeance  due  to  our  sins,  and  thereby  fully  satis- 
fied divine  justice ;  and  they  rested  in  the  false  hope, 
that  though  they  lived  in  sin,  Christ  was  their  surety 
and  they  were  saved  by  his  imputed  righteousness. 


52 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


They  argued,  that  as  God  has  made  Christ  to  be  sin 
for  us,  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  him,  therefore  as  our  sin  is 
imputed  to  Christ,  who  had  no  sin,  so  Christ's  righte- 
ousness is  imputed  to  us,  without  our  being  righteous. 
Friends  bore  a  decided  testimony  against  this  sin- 
pleasing  doctrine,  declaring  that  were  the  sentiment 
admitted,  that  God  was  so  reconciled  with  men  as  to 
esteem  them  just  while  they  were  unjust  and  continu- 
ing in  sin,  he  would  have  no  controversy  with  them, 
which  would  make  void  the  great  practical  doctrines 
of  repentance,  conversion  and  regeneration.  Though 
Christ  bore  our  sins,  suffered  for  us,  and  among  men 
was  accounted  a  sinner,  yet  they  denied  that  God  ever 
reputed  him  a  sinner,  or  that  he  died  that  w^e  should 
be  reputed  righteous,  though  no  more  really  so  than  he 
was  a  sinner.  They  understood  the  apostle,  when  he 
speaks  of  our  being  made  the  righteousness  of  God 
in  Christ,  to  mean,  that  we  are  to  be  made  really 
righteous,  and  not  by  imputation  merely ;  for  he  ar- 
gues against  any  agreement  between  righteousness  and 
unrighteousness,  light  and  darkness.  Our  Lord,  in  all 
his  doctrines  and  precepts,  enforces  the  necessity  of 
good  works ;  and  although  properly  speaking,  we  are 
not  justified  for  them,  yet  we  are  justified  in  them, 
agreeably  to  the  apostle  James,  "  Ye  see  then  how 
that  by  works  a  man  is  justified,  and  not  by  faith 
only."  "  For  as  the  body  without  the  spirit  is  dead, 
even  so  faith  without  works  is  dead  also." 

We  apprehend  that  some  may  be  in  danger  of  fall- 
ing back  into  the  errors  against  which  our  early 
Friends  testified ;  and  while  endeavouring  to  counter- 
act the  spirit  of  infidelity,  which  denies  the  propitia- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  53 


tory  efficacy  of  the  death  of  Christ,  they  may  run 
into  the  contrary  extreme  of  attributing  the  justifica- 
tion of  the  ungodly  to  a  professed  reliance  on  the 
atonement  and  an  imputed  righteousness,  without  ex- 
periencing true  repentance  and  the  sanctification  of 
the  Spirit.  To  the  repenting,  returning  sinner,  who  of 
himself  has  nothing  on  which  to  rest  his  hope  of  for- 
giveness and  acceptance  with  his  offended  Maker,  the 
mediation,  intercession,  and  propitiation  of  the  Re- 
deemer of  lost  man,  is  inexpressibly  precious.  It  is 
through  Him  alone  that  the  door  of  hope  is  opened, 
and  all  who  receive  into  their  hearts  the  gift  of  grace 
which  comes  by  Him,  and  yield  to  its  convicting 
power,  by  which  alone  they  can  be  brought  to  see 
their  sinful  state  and  to  repent  as  in  dust  and  ashes, 
will  in  the  Lord's  time,  through  faith  and  submission 
to  him,  know  the  blood  of  Christ  to  cleanse  them  from 
all  sin,  and  from  the  guilt  of  sin. 

Robert  Barclay  lays  down  the  doctrine  of  Justifica- 
tion in  these  terms :  "  As  many  as  resist  not  the  light 
of  Christ,  but  receive  the  same,  it  becomes  in  them  a 
holy,  pure  and  spiritual  birth,  bringing  forth  hoHness, 
righteousness,  purity  and  all  those  other  blessed  fruits 
which  are  acceptable  to  God ;  by  which  holy  birth, 
to  wit,  Jesus  Christ  formed  within  us,  and  working 
his  works  in  us,  as  we  are  sanctified,  so  are  we  justi- 
fied in  the  sight  of  God,  according  to  the  apostle's 
words ;  '  But  ye  are  washed,  but  ye  are  sanctified,  but 
ye  are  justified,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
by  the  Spirit  of  our  God.'  Therefore  it  is  not  by  our 
works  wrought  in  our  will,  nor  yet  by  good  works 
considered  as  of  themselves,  but  by  Christ  who  is 
both  the  gift  and  the  giver,  and  the  cause  producing 

8 


54 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


the  effects  in  us,  who  as  he  hath  reconciled  us  while 
we  were  enemies,  doth  also  in  his  wisdom  save  and 
justify  us  after  this  manner,  as  saith  the  same  apostle 
elsewhere  ;  '  Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we 
have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us, 
by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  he  shed  on  us  abundantly  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour;  that,  being  justified  by  his 
grace,  we  should  be  made  heirs  according  to  the  hope 
of  eternal  Hfe.  This  is  a  faithful  saying ;  and  these 
things  I  will  that  thou  affirm  constantly;  that  they 
which  have  believed  in  God  might  be  careful  to  main- 
tain good  works.' " 

"We  renounce  all  natural  power  and  ability  in  our- 
selves, to  bring  us  out  of  our  lost  and  fallen  condition 
and  first  nature;  and  confess  that  as  of  ourselves  we 
are  able  to  do  nothing  that  is  good ;  so  neither  can  we 
procure  remission  of  sins  or  justification  by  any  act  of 
our  own,  so  as  to  merit  it  or  draw  it  as  a  debt  from  God 
due  unto  us;  but  we  acknowledge  all  to  be  of  and  from 
his  love,  which  is  the  original  and  fundamental  cause 
of  our  acceptance. 

"  God  manifested  this  love  towards  us,  in  the  sending 
of  his  beloved  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  into  the 
world,  who  gave  himself  an  offering  for  us  and  a  sacri- 
fice to  God,  for  a  sweet  smelling  savour;  and  having 
made  peace  through  the  blood  of  the  cross,  that  he  might 
reconcile  us  unto  himself,  and  by  the  eternal  Spirit  offer- 
ed himself  without  spot  unto  God ;  suffered  for  our  sins, 
the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  unto 
God. 

"For  as  much  then  as  all  men  who  have  come  to 
man's  estate  (the  man  Jesus  only  excepted)  have  sinned, 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


65 


therefore  all  have  need  of  this  Saviour,  to  remove  the 
wrath  of  God  from  them  due  to  their  offences.  In 
this  respect  he  is  truly  said  to  have  borne  the  iniqui- 
ties of  us  all  in  his  body  on  the  tree ;  and  therefore  is 
the  only  Mediator,  having  qualified  the  wrath  of  God 
towards  us,  so  that  our  former  sins  stand  not  in  our 
way,  being  by  virtue  of  his  most  satisfactory  sacrifice 
removed  and  pardoned.  Neither  do  we  think  that  re- 
mission of  sins  is  to  be  expected,  sought  or  obtained 
any  other  way,  or  by  any  work  or  sacrifice  whatso- 
ever ;  though  they  may  come  io  partake  of  this  remis- 
sion who  are  ignorant  of  the  history.  So  then  Christ 
by  his  death  and  sufi?erings  hath  reconciled  us  to  God, 
even  while  we  are  enemies  ;  that  is,  he  offers  recon- 
ciliation unto  us  ;  we  are  put  into  a  capacity  of  being 
reconciled.  God  is  willing  to  forgive  us  our  iniquities 
and  to  accept  us,  as  is  well  expressed  by  the  apostle  ; 
*  God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself, 
not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them,  and  hath  put 
in  us  the  word  of  reconciliation.'  And  therefore  in 
the  next  verses,  the  apostle  entreats  them  in  Christ's 
stead,  to  be  reconciled  to  God ;  intimating  that  the 
wrath  of  God  being  removed  by  the  obedience  of 
Christ  Jesus,  he  is  willing  to  be  reconciled  unto  them, 
and  ready  to  remit  the  sins  that  are  past,  if  they  re- 
pent. 

"  We  consider  then  our  redemption  in  a  two-fold 
respect,  both  which  in  their  own  nature  are  perfect, 
though  in  their  application  to  us,  the  one  is  not  nor 
can  be,  without  respect  to  the  other.  The  first  is  the 
redemption  performed  and  accomplished  by  Christ  for 
us  in  his  crucified  body  without  us  :  the  other  is  the  re- 
demption wrought  by  Christ  in  us,  which  is  no  less  pro- 


56 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


perly  called  and  accounted  a  redemption  than  the  for- 
mer. The  first  is  that  whereby  a  man,  as  he  stands  in 
the  fall,  is  put  in  a  capacity  of  salvation,  and  hath  con- 
veyed unto  him  a  measure  of  that  power,  virtue,  spirit, 
life  and  grace  that  was  in  Christ  Jesus,  which  as  the 
free  gift  of  God  is  able  to  counterbalance,  overcome  and 
root  out  the  evil  seed,  wdierewith  we  are  naturally  as 
in  the  fall  leavened. 

"  Whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation 
through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteous- 
ness for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
the  forbearance  of  God."  Here  the  apostle  holds 
forth  the  extent  and  efficacy  of  Christ's  death,  show- 
ing that  thereby  and  by  faith  therein,  remission  of 
sins  that  are  past  is  obtained,  as  being  that  wherein 
the  forbearance  of  God  is  exercised  towards  man- 
kind. So  that  though  men  for  the  sins  they  daily  com- 
mit deserve  eternal  death  and  that  the  wrath  of  God 
should  lay  hold  upon  them,  yet  by  virtue  of  that  most 
satisfactory  sacrifice  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  grace  and 
seed  of  God  moves  in  love  towards  them  during  the 
day  of  their  visitation ;  yet  not  so  as  not  to  strike 
against  the  evil,  for  that  must  be  burned  up  and  des- 
troyed, but  to  redeem  man  out  of  the  evil. 

"  By  the  second  we  witness  this  capacity  brought 
into  act,  whereby  receiving  and  not  resisting  the  light, 
spirit,  and  grace  of  Christ  revealed  in  us,  which  is 
the  purchase  of  his  death,  we  witness  and  possess  a 
real,  true  and  inward  redemption  from  the  power  and 
prevalency  of  sin,  and  so  come  to  be  really  redeemed, 
justified  and  made  righteous,  and  to  a  sensible  union 
and  friendship  with  God.  Thus  he  died  for  us,  that  he 
might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity;  and  thus  we  'know 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  57 


him  and  the  power  of  his  resurrection,  and  the  fellow- 
ship of  his  sufferings,  being  made  conformable  to  his 
death.' " 

Richard  Claridge  on  the  subject  of  justification, 
says : — 

"  In  a  word,  if  justification  be  considered  in  its  full 
and  just  latitude,  neither  Christ's  work  without  us  in 
the  prepared  body,  nor  his  work  within  us  by  his  Holy 
Spirit,  is  to  be  excluded,  for  both  have  their  place  and 
service  in  our  complete  and  absolute  justification.  By 
the  propitiatory  sacrifice  of  Christ  without  us,  we 
truly  repenting  and  believing,  are,  through  the  mercy 
of  God,  justified  from  the  imputations  of  sins  and 
transgressions  that  are  past,  as  though  they  had  never 
been  committed :  and  by  the  mighty  work  of  Christ 
within  us,  the  power,  nature,  and  habits  of  sin  are 
destroyed;  that  as  sin  once  reigned  unto  death,  even  so 
now  grace  reigneth,  through  righteousness,  unto  eter- 
nal life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  All  this  is  eflfected, 
not  by  a  bare  or  naked  act  of  faith,  separate  from 
obedience,  but  in  the  obedience  of  faith,  Christ  being 
the  author  of  eternal  salvation  to  none  but  those  that 
obey  him." 

To  those  who  receive  him  in  his  spiritual  appear- 
ance in  the  heart,  whether  they  have  ever  heard  of 
his  coming  in  the  flesh  or  not,  he  giv^es  power  to  be- 
come the  sons  of  God ;  and  if  any  through  weakness 
or  unwatchfulness  fall  again  into  sin,  he  is  their  pro- 
pitiation, and  will  forgive  and  blot  out  their  transgres- 
sion, if  they  turn  again  to  Him  and  sincerely  repent. 
As  the  Lord  Jesus  is  thus  revealed  in  them,  converting, 
regenerating  and  renewing  the  soul  by  his  Holy  Spirit, 
if  they  persevere  in  faithfulness,  they  experience  Him 


58 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


to  be  made  unto  them  of  God,  wisdom,  righteous- 
ness, sanctification  and  redemption ;  they  are  made 
one  with  Him,  as  the  branches  with  the  vine ;  they 
put  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  their  respective 
measures  are  made  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  and 
of  what  he  has  done  for  them ;  so  that  his  obedience 
becomes  theirs,  his  righteousness  theirs,  his  death  and 
sufferings  theirs.  Thus  they  are  renewed  up  into  the 
image  which  Adam  lost  by  transgression,  and  walking 
in  the  light,  as  God  is  in  the  light,  they  have  fellowship 
one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his 
Son  cleanses  them  from  all  sin. 

BAPTISM  AND  THE  SUPPER. 

The  subjects  of  water  baptism  and  the  use  of 
bread  and  wine,  have  recently  engaged  much  atten- 
tion among  Christian  professors,  and  we  trust  the 
minds  of  many  are  gradually  preparing  for  the  recep- 
tion of  views  respecting  them,  more  consonant  with 
the  spirituality  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  It  is  there- 
fore highly  important,  that  our  members  should  faith- 
fully support  our  testimony  in  these  particulars,  and  be 
careful  not  to  be  **  entangled  with  the  yoke  of  bond- 
age;" "  the  beggarly  elements  and  carnal  ordinances," 
from  which  our  forefathers  were  redeemed  by  the  out- 
stretched arm  of  divine  power. 

We  should  ever  bear  in  mind  that,  the  Son  of  God 
came  into  the  world  to  put  an  end  to  sin,  to  finish  trans- 
gression, and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness;  and 
that  if  this  all-important  work  is  accomplished,  it  must 
be  carried  on  and  perfected  in  the  heart  of  man  by  the 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


59 


Spirit  of  God — no  outward  ceremonies  can  ever  effect 
it.  The  dispensation  of  types  and  shadows,  wilh  its 
"  divers  washings"  or  baptisms,  was  finished  and  passed 
away  when  our  blessed  Lord  was  crucified  ;  and  was 
succeeded  by  the  more  glorious  dispensation  of  the  gos- 
pel, which  is  spirit  and  life  to  the  penitent  and  obedi- 
ent soul.  The  Holy  Scriptures  plainly  declare  that 
there  is  now  but  one  baptism ;  and  that  this  one  bap- 
tism sav^es  the  soul ;  "  not  by  the  putting  away  of  the 
filth  of  the  flesh,  but  by  the  answer  of  a  good  con- 
science towards  God,  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ."  Few  of  the  advocates  of  water  baptism  con- 
tend that  it  is  necessary  to  salvation ;  while  the  New 
Testament  uniformly  represents  the  baptism  of  Christ, 
which  is  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire,  as  efiectual  in 
purifying  the  soul  from  the  defilement  of  sin,  and  con- 
sequently essential  to  its  salvation. 

The  forerunner  of  our  Lord  testified,  "  1  indeed 
baptize  you  with  water  unto  repentance ;  but  he  that 
Cometh  after  me  is  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoes  I  am 
not  worthy  to  bear ;  He  shall  baptize  you  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  fire;  whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he 
will  thoroughly  purge  his  floor,  and  gather  his  wheat 
into  the  garner,  but  he  will  burn  up  the  chaff*  with 
unquenchable  fire."  These  striking  figures  are  a  lively 
representation  of  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  submit  to  his  operations,  where- 
by they  are  thoroughly  refined  from  the  pollution  of 
sin,  and  the  transgressing  nature  winnow^ed  aw^ay,  so 
as  to  prepare  the  soul  for  being  gathered  into  the  hea- 
venly garner. 

To  those  who  thus  yield  themselves  to  this  fiery 
baptism,  and  follow  Christ  in  the  regeneration,  the 


60 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


apostle  addresses  this  language ;  *'  ye  are  complete  in 
Him,  who  is  the  head  of  all  principality  and  power : 
in  whom  also  ye  are  circumcised  with  the  circumcis- 
ion made  without  hands,  in  putting  off  the  body  of  the 
sins  of  the  flesh,  by  the  circumcision  of  Christ ;  buried 
with  him  in  baptism,  wherein  also  ye  are  risen  with 
him,  through  the  faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  who 
raised  him  from  the  dead." 

As  many  as  are  thus  baptized  into  Jesus  Christ, 
are  baptized  into  his  death ;  and  like  as  Christ  was 
raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father, 
even  so  these  also  walk  in  newness  of  life.  "  They 
have  put  on  Christ,"  and  "  become  new  creatures ; 
old  things  are  passed  away ;  behold  all  things  are  be- 
come new,  and  all  things  of  God."  This,  and  this 
only,  is  the  baptism  of  the  gospel,  and  this  is  com- 
plete and  effectual  in  itself;  without  the  addition  of 
any  outward  washing  or  sprinkling, — which  relate  to 
the  body  only,  and  can  never  affect  the  soul. 

Our  views  respecting  the  participation  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  are  of  the  same  character.  The  passover 
supper,  at  which  Jesus  gave  the  bread  and  wine  to 
his  disciples,  was  abolished,  with  the  rest  of  the  Jewish 
ceremonies,  at  his  death ;  and  although  the  disciples, 
from  their  attachment  to  the  law  of  Moses,  practised 
it  after  that  event,  as  they  did  circumcision,  and  ab- 
staining from  blood  and  from  things  strangled  ;  yet  we 
/  find  nothing  in  Scripture  to  warrant  the  assumption 
that  it  is  a  standing  ordinance  in  Christ's  church 
He  himself  declares,  except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the 
Son  of  man,  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  no  life  in 
you  :  whoso  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood, 
hath  eternal  life,  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  TRIENDS. 


61 


day ;  for  my  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is 
drink  indeed.  He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh 
my  blood,  dwelleth  in  me,  and  I  in  him."  When  his 
disciples  murmured  at  this  doctrine,  he  told  them,  "  It 
is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth,  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing; 
the  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit  and 
they  are  life." 

We  believe  that  this  communion  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ,  without  which  we  cannot  have  eter- 
nal life,  is  inward  and  spiritual, — a  real  participation 
of  his  divine  nature,  through  faith  in  him,  and  obedi- 
ence to  his  Spirit  in  the  heart;  by  which  the  inward  man 
is  daily  nourished  and  strengthened,  and  kept  ahve  un- 
to God.  This  is  the  true  communion  of  saints,  in  and 
with  Christ  Jesus  their  Lord,  and  it  is  not  confined  to 
those  who  have  the  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
or  of  the  coming  and  sufferings  and  death  of  the  Son 
of  God,  as  the  propitiation  for  sin ;  but  is  graciously 
granted  to  every  sincere  and  obedient  soul,  who  is 
faithful  to  the  degree  of  light  and  knowledge  with 
which  it  is  favoured,  agreeably  to  the  testimony  of 
our  Lord  himself ;  Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock  :  if  any  man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door, 
I  will  come  in  to  him  and  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me." 

Having  thus  set  forth  the  views  which  we  as  a  peo- 
ple have  always  believed  and  maintained,  in  regard  to 
these  important  doctrines,  we  think  it  right  renewedly 
to  call  the  attention  of  our  members  to-some  of  those 
Christian  testimonies,  into  which  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  lead  our  worthy  predecessors,  and  which  it  is  no 
less  obligatory  on  us  faithfully  to  uphold  at  the  pre- 
sent day. 


62 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


DIVINE  WORSHIP. 

Divine  worship  is  the  highest  and  most  important 
duty  in  which  the  mind  of  man  can  be  engaged.  It 
is  no  less  than  holding  intercourse  with  the  Father  of 
Spirits,  and  offering  the  tribute  of  homage  and  adora- 
tion to  "  the  High  and  lofty  One,  who  inhabiteth  eter- 
nity, whose  name  is  Holy;"  but  who  condescends  also, 
to  "dwell  with  him  that  is  of  a. contrite  and  humble 
spirit;  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  humble,  and  to  revive 
the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones."  This  solemn  act  is 
not  dependent  upon,  or  necessarily  connected  with, 
any  thing  which  one  man  can  do  for  another;  but 
must  be  performed  between  the  soul  and  its  Almighty 
Creator ;  for  "  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  worship 
him,  must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth." 

Acceptable  worship  cannot  be  offered,  but  through 
the  assistance  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ;  he  being  our 
Mediator  by  whom  only  we  can  approach  unto  God, 
and  from  whom  we  must  derive,  for  this  engagement, 
both  "the  preparation  of  the  heart  and  the  answer  of 
the  tongue."  In  order  to  experience  this  necessary  quali- 
fication, it  is  our  duty  to  have  the  mind  withdrawn 
from  all  outward  objects,  and  reverently  and  humbly 
to  wait  upon  the  Lord  in  the  silence  of  all  flesh ;  that 
so  he  may  be  pleased,  through  the  revelation  of  his 
Spirit,  to  give  us  a  true  sense  of  our  needs  and  a 
knowledge  of  his  will,  and  enable  us  to  offer  a  sacri- 
fice well-pleasing  in  his  sight,  whether  it  be  in  silent 
mental  adoration ;  the  secret  breathing  of  the  soul 
unto  Him  ;  in  the  public  ministry  of  the  gospel,  or  vo- 
cal prayer  or  thanksgiving.  Those  who  thus  wait 
upon  the  Lord,  and  depend  upon  the  assistance  of  his 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


Spirit,  will  often  be  favoured  with  a  broken  and  con- 
trite heart,  a  sacrifice  which,  it  is  declared,  He  will 
not  despise — their  spiritual  strength  will  be  renewed, 
and  they  will  experience  a  growth  and  establishment 
in  the  blessed*  truth.  These,  however  small  their  num- 
ber or  remote  and  solitary  their  situation  may  be,  are 
the  true  worshippers  whom  the  Father  seeketh  to  wor- 
ship him ;  and  to  whom  the  Lord  Jesus  will  fulfil  his 
gracious  promise,  "  Where  two  or  three  are  gathered 
together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them." 

We  tenderly  entreat  all  to  be  constant  in  assembling 
with  their  brethren  on  first-days,  and  other  days  of  the 
week  when  meetings  for  Divine  Worship  are  held,  in 
order  to  bear  a  public  testimony  to  our  dependence 
upon  the  Father  of  mercies,  for  the  blessings  we  en- 
joy, and  to  experience  a  renewal  of  our  ability  to  live 
in  his  fear,  and  to  labour  in  his  blessed  cause  and  ser- 
vice. Let  us  not  suflTer  the  improper  influence  of  tem- 
poral things,  an  indifferent  or  lifeless  state  of  mind, 
the  smallness  of  the  number  who  meet,  or  the  absence 
of  a  vocal  ministry,  to  discourage  us  from  diligently 
attending  all  our  religious  meetings ;  remembering  that 
it  is  our  reasonable  service  to  present  our  bodies  a 
living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God.  Where 
this  is  the  sincere  engagement  of  those  gathered, 
whether  it  may  please  him  to  authorize  any  public 
ministry  or  not,  the  great  minister  of  the  sanctuary, 
Christ  Jesus,  will,  in  his  own  time,  dispense  to  the  wait- 
ing soul,  that  divine  consolation  or  instruction  which 
He  sees  to  be  best  for  it.  Let  none  then,  be  weary  or 
ashamed  of  our  ancient  and  noble  testimony  to  the 
excellence  of  silent  waiting  upon  God  ;  it  having  been 
found,  in  the  experience  of  many  of  his  servants,  a 


64 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OP 


most  profitable  exercise  of  mind,  and  one  which  he 
has  graciously  been  pleased  eminently  to  own  and 
bless. 

MINISTRY. 

As  it  is  the  prerogative  of  the  great  Head  of  the 
church  alone  to  select  and  call  the  ministers  of  his 
gospel,  so  we  believe  both  the  gift,  and  the  qualifi- 
cation to  exercise  it,  must  be  derived  immediately 
from  Him ; — and  that  as  in  the  primitive  church,  so 
now  also,  he  confers  them  on  women  as  well  as  on 
men,  agreeably  to  the  prophecy  recited  by  the  apostle 
Peter,  "  It  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith 
God,  I  will  pour  out  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh:  and 
your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy ;"  and 
on  my  servants  and  on  my  handmaidens,  I  will  pour 
out,  in  those  days,  of  my  Spirit ;  and  they  shall  pro- 
phesy respecting  which  the  apostle  declares,  "  the 
promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all 
that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  call." 

The  gift  being  free,  the  exercise  of  it  is  to  be  with- 
out money  and  without  price,  agreeably  to  the  com- 
mand of  our  Lord,  "  freely  ye  have  received,  freely 
give." 

The  apostle  Paul,  in  speaking  of  his  ministry  de- 
clares, "  I  neither  received  it  from  man,  neither  was 
I  taught  it,  but  by  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ;"  that 
the  exercise  of  it  was  "  not  in  the  words  which  man's 
wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth;" 
and  that  his  "  speech  and  his  preaching  was  not  with 
enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  demonstration 
of  the  Spirit  and  of  power ;  thdt  the  faith  of  his  hear- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


65 


ers  might  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the 
power  of  God."  We  believe  that  the  experience  of 
every  true  minister  of  Christ  will  correspond  with  that 
of  the  apostle ;  and  therefore,  our  religious  Society, 
from  its  first  rise,  has  borne  a  constant  and  faithful 
testimony  against  a  man-made  and  hireling  ministry, 
which  derives  its  authority  and  qualification  from  hu- 
man learning  and  ordination;  which  does  not  recog- 
nise a  direct  divine  call  to  this  solemn  work,  nor  ac- 
knowledge its  dependence  for  the  performance  of  it, 
upon  the  renewed  motions  and  assistance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  vouchsafed  on  every  occasion ;  and  which  re- 
ceives pay  for  preaching. 

We  apprehend,  that  the  selection  of  one  man  to 
speak  to  an  assembly,  who  is  always  to  perform  that 
service  at  the  stated  times  of  meeting,  whether  di- 
vinely called  to  it  and  assisted,  or  not;  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  all  others,  whatever  may  be  their  religious 
exercises  or  apprehended  duty,  is  an  unauthorized  as- 
sumption of  power,  greatly  prejudicial  to  the  welfare 
of  the  church;  and  a  direct  interference  with  the  di- 
vine prerogative  of  Christ,  whose  right  it  is  to  dispense 
his  gifts  to  whom  he  will,  as  saith  the  apostle,  "  to  one 
is  given,  by  the  Spirit,  the  word  of  wisdom  ;  to  ano- 
ther the  word  of  knowledge,  by  the  same  Spirit ;  to 
another  faith  ;  to  another  the  gifts  of  heahng — to  ano- 
ther the  working  of  miracles — to  another  prophecy — 
to  another  discerning  of  spirits — to  another  divers 
kinds  of  tongues — to  another  the  interpretation  of 
tongues :  But  all  these  worketh  that  one  and  the  self 
same  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  he 
will." 

It  is  our  earnest  concern,  that  none  of  our  mem- 
9 


66 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


bers  may  countenance  or  encourage  a  hireling  and 
man-made  ministry,  by  attending  at  places  where  it 
is  allowed,  or  in  any  other  way;  but  that  all  may 
faithfully  uphold  our  Christian  testimony  herein,  for 
w^hich  our  forefathers  suffered  deeply,  both  in  their 
property  and  persons,  many  of  them  even  unto  death. 

PKAYER. 

Prayer  is  a  duty  inseparable  from  the  life  and 
growth  of  a  Christian.  Whenever  he  is  upon  the 
watch,  it  is  the  clothing  of  his  spirit.  He  cannot  main- 
tain the  watch  against  the  insidious  machinations  of 
his  unwearied  enemy,  without  the  constant  aid  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  This  Spirit,  which  reminds  him  of  his 
need  of  holy  aspirations  to  the  throne  of  grace  for 
preservation,  and  for  forgiveness  of  his  misteps  when  off 
the  watch,  influences  and  prepares  his  heart  to  breathe 
^  forth  fervent  desires  before  the  Lord,  for  strength  to 
stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil,  that  he  may  be 
built  up  and  preserved  upon  the  Rock  Christ  Jesus. 
When  through  divine  love  he  is  made  sensible  of  the 
Lord's  holy  presence,  prayer  or  praise  arises  in  his 
soul ;  and  thus  he  is  permitted  to  hold  communion 
with  the  Father  of  mercies,  the  God  of  all  consola- 
tion. But  it  is  only  through  the  Spirit  of  our  Holy 
Intercessor  and  Advocate  with  the  Father,  that  the 
heart  is  thus  influenced  and  enabled  to  put  up  availing 
prayer.  None  need  doubt  that  this  indispensable  quali- 
fication will  be  furnished  if  they  humbly  seek  it,  and  are 
obedient  to  the  divine  will  in  this  and  other  duties. 

At  those  seasons  of  divine  visitation,  when  the  con- 
victions of  that  grace  which  strives  with  all  to  save 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  67 


them,  are  pressing  upon  the  rebellious  transgressor,  as 
they  are  yielded  to,  a  cry  for  mercy  and  forgiveness  is 
raised  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  heart,  which  will  reach 
the  gracious  ear  of  Him  against  whom  they  have 
sinned,  and  will  be  accepted. 

Were  the  command  of  our  Lord  to  "  w^atch  and 
pray  continually,"  hved  up  to,  there  w^ould  be  no  for- 
mal prayers;  and  where  that  is  not  regarded,  formal 
prayers  will  not  avail  as  a  substitute.  Many  of  our  early 
Friends  had  been  educated  in  the  habit  of  "  saying  their 
prayers."  as  it  is  termed,  at  stated  periods ;  and  when 
it  was  given  them,  in  the  light  of  Christ  Jesus,  to  see 
their  own  conditions,  and  that  he  required  a  thorough 
change  of  heart,  they  were  convinced  that  those  cus- 
tomary prayers,  in  which  the  spirit  of  supplication 
was  not  poured  forth  from  on  high  upon  the  indi- 
vidual, would  not  avail  anything,  and  they  were  res- 
trained from  the  practice  and  from  teaching  them  to 
their  children.  They  clearly  saw  and  felt,  that  He 
only,  to  whom  the  apostles  applied,  could  teach  them 
how  to  pray  and  what  to  pray  for;  under  his  gui- 
dance their  Uves  became  lives  of  prayer  and  w^atch- 
fulness,  and  many  of  them  attained  to  an  extraordi- 
nary growth  and  fixedness  in  the  blessed  truth. 

Like  the  qualification  for  gospel  ministry,  we  have 
always  believed  that  the  putting  forth  of  the  Shepherd 
of  Israel  is  requisite  for  the  duty  of  vocal  prayer  in  our 
religious  assemblies,  a  service  in  w^hich  the  spiritual 
w^orshipper  can  fervently  and  cordially  unite,  when 
it  is  performed  under  the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  solemn  acts  in  which  man  can 
be  engaged,  and  when  prostrated  in  the  presence  of 
the  great  I  AM,  our  words  should  be  few  and  weigh- 


68 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


ty.  We  would  carefully  avoid  discouraging  any  from 
a  faithful  compliance  with  this  duty,  when  divinely 
opened  to  them  ;  but  there  is  need  of  caution,  lest  any 
fall  into  a  habit  of  kneeling  in  meetings,  as  though  they 
could  hardly  be  commenced  or  concluded  properly, 
without  vocal  addresses  of  this  nature.  Such  a  prac- 
tice tends  to  lessen  that  reverence  and  holy  fear,  which 
all  ought  scrupulously  to  maintain  in  approaching  the 
sacred  presence ;  and  meetings  are  greatly  injured  by 
such  unauthorized  communications, — sometimes  run- 
ning into  lifeless  declaration,  and  also  asking  amiss, 
which  bring  death  over  a  meeting  instead  of  life,  and 
eclipse  the  excellency  of  the  gift  of  prayer. 

May  all  then  be  watchful  and  attentive  to  the  gentle 
intimations  of  our  holy  high  Priest,  who  will  clothe 
with  deep  humility  and  awe;  and  when  he  sees  it  pro- 
per, will  grant  to  his  servants  the  spirit  of  supplication, 
and  strengthen  them  to  offer  living  prayers,  with  the 
spirit  and  with  the  understanding  also,  which  will  find 
acceptance  with  him,  and  tend  to  the  refreshment  of 
his  church  and  people.  , 

WAR. 

It  being  the  nature  and  design  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, to  subject  the  angry  and  revengeful  passions  of 
human  nature  to  its  benign  influence  and  government ; 
those  who  have  fully  submitted  to  its  transforming 
power,  must  necessarily  be  redeemed  from  the  spirit 
in  which  wars  and  fightings  originate.  The  gospel  of 
Christ  breathes  peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  men, — 
and  the  precepts  of  its  divine  Author  entirely  preclude 
the  indulgence  of  a  disposition  which  would  resent  an 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  rRIENDS. 


69 


injury  or  inflict  one  upon  a  fellow  creature.  Ye  have 
heard,  says  he,  "  that  it  hath  been  said,  an  eye  for  an 
eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth ;  but  I  say  unto  you  that 
ye  resist  not  evil;  but  whosoever  shall  smite  thee  on 
thy  right  cheek,  turn  to  him  the  other  also."  "  I  say 
unto  you,  love  your  enemies;  bless  them  that  curse 
you ;  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for 
them  that  despitefully  use  you  and  persecute  you,  that 
ye  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven."  If  then  we  would  be  children  of  God, 
and  joint  heirs  with  Christ,  we  must  love  our  enemies 
instead  of  hating  them, — do  good  to  them,  instead 
of  injuring  them;  and  not  seek  to  avenge  ourselves 
for  wrongs  which  may  be  inflicted  upon  us. 

It  is  also  worthy  of  our  serious  consideration,  that 
in  our  Lord's  instructions  on  the  subject  of  prayer,  we 
are  taught  that  the  measure  of  the  forgiveness  which 
we  receive  from  our  heavenly  Father,  will  be  that 
which  we  exercise  toward  our  fellow  men.  "  Forgive 
us  our  debts, — as  we  forgive  our  debtors."  "  And 
when  ye  stand  praying,  forgive,  if  ye  have  aught 
against  any,  that  your  Father  also,  which  is  in  heaven, 
may  forgive  you  your  trespasses."  "  But  if  ye  forgive 
not  men  their  trespasses,  neither  will  your  heavenly 
Father  forgive  you."  Thus  it  is  evident,  that  the 
Spirit  of  the  gospel  is  that  of  universal  love  and 
forgiveness  ;  and  wherever  these  plain  and  unalterable 
commands  of  Christ  are  duly  regarded,  strife,  malevo- 
lence and  discord,  must  come  to  an  end ;  "  violence 
will  no  more  be  heard  in  the  land,  wasting  or  destruc-^ 
tion  within  its  borders ;"  but  the  prediction  will  be  ful- 
filled, "they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  ploughshares, 
and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks ;  nation  shall  not 


70 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  Or 


lift  up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall  they  learn 
war  any  more."  When  we  contemplate  these  blessed 
effects  of  the  religion  of  the  Prince  of  peace,  and  con- 
trast them  with  the  fierce  and  cruel  passions  which 
rage  upon  the  battle-field;  the  injuries  inflicted  by 
man  upon  his  fellow;  how  many  immortal  spirits  are 
hurried  unprepared,  into  an  awful  eternity, — guilty 
perhaps  of  a  brother's  blood ;  the  cry  of  the  mourning 
widow  and  of  the  bereaved  orphan  ;  how  mournful  is 
the  prospect,  and  how  deeply  is  it  to  be  deplored,  that  • 
any  of  the  professors  of  the  Christian  name  should 
countenance  a  system,  so  directly  opposed  to  the  pre- 
cepts of  Christ,  and  so  offensive  in  the  sight  of  heaven. 

Although  our  portion  of  the  land  has  been  long  ex- 
empted, through  divine  favour,  from  the  desolating 
scourge  of  war,  and  the  members  of  our  religious  So-  ' 
ciety  have  not  been  called  to  suffer  as  in  former  years, 
in  support  of  our  testimony  on  this  subject, — yet  we 
greatly  desire,  that  in  this  day  of  ease,  we  may  not 
become  indifferent  to  its  importance,  or  in  any  degree 
relax  in  its  faithful  maintenance.  We  feel  a  fear,  lest 
some  among  us,  for  want  of  due  consideration,  may 
be  induced  to  pay  those  pecuniary  demands,  which 
are  exacted  by  the  laws,  in  lieu  of  military  service,  or 
connive  at,  or  encourage  the  payment  of  them  by 
others, — a  practice  highly  discreditable  to  any  making 
profession  of  the  truth,  and  against  which  we  feel 
bound  to  bear  our  testimony.  However  remote  the 
connexion  may  seem,  between  the  payment  of  such 
a  fine  and  the  cruel  operations  of  active  warfare,  they 
are  parts  of  the  same  iniquitous  system.  The  exac- 
tion of  such  fines,  is  also  an  infringement  of  our  liberty 
of  conscience ;  inasmuch  as  it  requires  us  to  pay  for 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


71 


the  exercise  of  a  religious  scruple,  the  free  enjoyment 
of  which  is  a  natural  and  inalienable  right.  We  are 
therefore  engaged  again  to  press  upon  all,  the  upright 
and  faithful  support  of  our  testimony  in  this  respect; 
and  where  a  distraint  or  imprisonment  is  the  conse- 
quence, to  bear  it  in  a  meek  and  becoming  spirit,  so 
as  to  evince  that  we  are  actuated  by  rehgious  mo- 
tives. Meetings  are  enjoined  to  be  careful  annually 
to  collect  and  forward  such  accounts,  agreeably  to 
ancient  usage. 

SLAVERY. 

We  wish,  renewedly,  to  call  the  attention  of  Friends, 
to  the  righteous  testimony  which  our  religious  Society 
has  long  borne  against  holding  our  fellow  men  in  bond- 
age. When  we  remember  that  the  victims  of  this 
system  of  wickedness  and  cruelty,  are  our  brethren  ; 
children  of  the  same  universal  parent;  for  whose  souls 
Christ  died  as  well  as  for  ours,  and  that  they  are  de- 
signed to  be  fellow- heirs  with  us  of  immortality  and 
eternal  life, — the  sufferings,  the  degradation  and  the 
wrongs  they  endure,  cannot  but  awaken  our  sympa- 
thies, and  incite  the  inquiry  what  the  Lord  is  calling 
for  at  our  hands,  in  their  behalf  The  sin  of  slavery, 
with  its  multitude  of  attendant  evils,  hangs  as  a  dark 
cloud  over  our  land,  and  portends  the  approaching  in- 
fliction of  divine  judgments.  We  continue  to  feel  an 
unabated  concern  for  the  spread  of  the  testimony 
against  slavery  in  the  earth ;  believing  that  as  the 
spirit  of  the  gospel  is  suffered  to  prevail  among  the 
professors  of  the  sacred  name  of  Christ,  it  will  bring 
with  it  peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  men,  without 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OP 


distinction  of  nation  or  colour ; — "  will  loose  the  bands 
of  wickedness,  undo  the  heavy  burdens,  break  every 
yoke,  and  let  the  oppressed  go  free." 

Our  forefathers  engaged  in  this  concern,  under  the 
constraining  influence  of  religious  duty  and  a  sense  of 
justice;  and  as  they  endeavoured  to  prosecute  the 
work  with  a  steady  reference  to  the  guidance  of  "  the 
wisdom  which  cometh  down  from  above ;  which  is 
first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle  and  easy  to  be  en- 
treated, full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits ;  without  parti- 
ality and  without  hypocrisy,"  it  pleased  the  Lord 
eminently  to  bless  the  labours  of  the  Society.  Know- 
ing that  times  and  seasons  are  not  at  our  command, 
but  are  in  the  hand  of  Him  who  can  turn  the  hearts 
of  men,  as  a  man  turneth  a  water-course  in  his  field, 
they  endeavoured,  in  their  public  labours  for  the  pro- 
motion of  this  worthy  cause,  to  feel  the  way  open; 
to  watch  the  pointing  of  the  Divine  finger,  and  to 
move  in  his  fear  and  counsel.  Thus  they  were  pre- 
served from  rash  and  imprudent  action ;  from  intem- 
perate zeal,  and  from  being  swayed  by  animal  excite- 
ments, which  often  impel  those  who  yield  to  their  in- 
fluence, into  measures,  which,  instead  of  promoting, 
retard  or  frustrate,  the  objects  which  they  professedly 
have  in  view. 

When  a  fierce  and  angry  spirit  is  indulged,  even  in 
opposing  what  is  glaringly  wrong,  it  raises  a  corres- 
pondent feeling  in  those  against  whose  conduct  it  is 
directed;  and  closes  the  mind  against  the  force  of 
those  arguments,  which,  if  presented  in  the  meek  and 
gentle  spirit  of  the  gospel,  would  probably  produce 
conviction. 

We  w^ould  caution  all  our  members,  to  beware  of 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


73 


a  spirit  of  this  description,  on  the  subject  of  slavery; 
and  to  take  care  that  in  the  anxiety  to  be  doing  son:ie- 
thing, — political  motives,  party  feelings,  unsound  prin- 
ciples, and  other  influences  equally  at  variance  with 
a  right  exercise  of  nnind,  be  not  mixed  up  with  it;  to 
the  great  injury  of  the  cause,  and  of  the  individuals 
who  suffer  themselves  to  be  drawn  into  such  coalitions. 

While,  therefore,  we  would  encourage  all  our  mem- 
bers to  dwell  under^a  lively  feeling  of  the  wrongs  of  our 
fellow  men,  and  of  the  enormity  of  the  system  by 
which  they  are  enslaved  and  oppressed, — we  believe 
their  safety  and  preservation  as  individuals,  and  the 
progress  of  this  righteous  testimony,  so  far  as  respects 
our  religious  Society,  very  much  depend  upon  their 
keeping  within  its  bosom  in  their  efforts  to  promote 
it;  and  carefully  attending  to  the  unfoldings  of  duty  in 
their  own  breasts,  by  which  they  would  be  kept  from 
joining  in  associations,  or  engaging  in  measures,  u^hich, 
however  plausible  they  may  appear,  would  endanger 
their  growth  in  best  things,  and  their  stabihty  and  use- 
fulness as  members  of  the  body. 

TRADE  AND  LIVING. 

We  believe  the  call  of  the  Lord  is  renewedly  ex- 
tended to  us  as  a  people,  at  the  present  time,  to  come 
back  to  the  example  set  us  by  our  primitive  worthies, 
in  regard  to  moderation  in  trade  and  business,  and 
simplicity  and  humility  in  the  style  and  furniture  of 
our  houses, — in  our  manner  of  living,  and  in  dress,  ad- 
dress and  demeanour;  that  so  we  may  again  faithfully 
uphold  our  testimony  in  these  respects,  in  support  of 
which  they  underwent  much  reproach  and  suifering. 

7 


74 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


Their  eye  being  directed  toward  an  enduring  inher- 
itance, and  their  hearts  set  upon  things  above,  they 
sought  not  after  greatness  in  this  world,  but  passed  the 
time  of  their  sojourning  here  in  watchfulness  and  fear, 
and  in  great  simplicity  of  heart,  as  well  as  of  living 
and  demeanour ;  endeavouring  by  their  integrity  and 
uprightness,  and  the  purity  of  their  example,  to  reach 
the  divine  witness  in  all,  and  to  promote  the  love  of 
truth  and  righteousness  among  men.  In  minds  thus 
bent  on  seeking  a  more  glorious  inheritance  than  the 
things  of  time  can  afford,  the  love  of  the  world  could 
have  little  influence.  They  were  bright  examples  of 
justice,  of  moderation  in  business,  in  their  houses,  their 
dress  and  language,  and  of  the  self-denial  which  the 
gospel  enjoins,  in  all  their  conduct  and  conversation. 

But,  dear  Friends,  has  not  a  departure  from  this  sim- 
plicity and  heavenly  mindedness,  led  many  among  us 
into  the  love  and  eager  pursuit  of  the  riches  and  hon- 
our of  the  present  world ;  producing  the  fruits  of  pride, 
emulation,  and  a  love  of  grandeur;  bringing  in  many 
imaginary  wants  and  foolish  fashions;  to  satisfy  which, 
has  led  into  hazardous  speculations  and  a  pursuit  of 
business,  incompatible  with  our  holy  profession ;  which 
has  engrossed  the  time  and  talents,  so  as  to  leave  but 
little  of  either,  or  of  inclination,  to  attend  to  the  mo- 
mentous concerns  of  religion,  to  the  right  education 
of  their  children,  or  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of 
our  fellow  men.  The  mind  thus  absorbed  and  encum- 
bered, is  unfitted  for  religious  thoughtfulness,  as  well  as 
religious  service;  and  for  breathing  daily  after  the 
spiritual  riches,  which  are  enjoyed  in  humble  commu- 
nion with  God. 

We  believe  that  the  pecuniary  distress  which  pre- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  75 

vails  so  extensively  over  our  country,  and  those  con- 
vulsions which  have  swept  away  from  many,  a  large 
portion  of  their  property,  are  dispensations  permitted 
by  infinite  Wisdom,  to  show  us  the  vanity  and  uncer- 
tainty of  all  temporal  possessions,  and  to  turn  the 
minds  of  the  people  to  the  necessity  of  endeavouring 
to  lay  up  treasure  in  heaven,  "  where  neither  moth 
nor  rust  corrupts,  and  where  thieves  do  not  break 
through  and  steal." 

Fervent  is  the  solicitude  we  feel,  that  we  may  all 
"  hear  the  rod,  and  him  who  hath  appointed  it and 
be  deeply  engaged  to  have  our  affections  weaned  from 
the  perishing  things  of  this  life,  and  fixed  upon  that 
which  is  to  come.  Thus  would  our  desires  be  moder- 
ated, and  our  wants  circumscribed  by  the  limitations  of 
the  holy  truth ; — pride,  avarice  and  ambition,  would  be 
laid  in  the  dust,  and  we  should  be  constrained,  by  the 
love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts,  to  seek  first 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  the  righteousness  there- 
of,— in  the  humble  reUance,  that  He  who  knoweth 
w^hat  things  we  have  need  of  before  we  ask  him,  will 
not  fail  to  grant  them  unto  us.  In  this  lowly,  humble 
state  of  mind,  the  desire  to  accumulate  money,  or  to 
make  an  appearance  in  the  world  corresponding  with 
others,  would  be  mortified  and  subdued ;  and  as  the 
meek  and  self-denying  followers  of  Him,  who  though 
Lord  of  all,  had  not  whereon  to  lay  his  head,  we 
should  be  contented  with  that  simplicity  and  modera- 
tion which  comport  with  our  Christian  profession, 
and  receive  with  grateful  hearts,  whatever  our  hea- 
venly Father  saw  meet  to  dispense. 

Ma)7*s'lich  as  have  lost  much  of  their  earthly  sub- 
stance, endeavour  to  profit  by  the  dispensation,  as  a 


/ 


76  THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 

fatherly  correction  from  the  hand  of  Him,  who  afflict- 
eth  not  willingly;  and  cheerfully  accommodate  them- 
selves to  the  change  in  their  circumstances,  by  a  cor- 
respondent reduction  in  their  expenses,  rather  than 
seek  to  recover  what  they  have  lost,  by  an  undue  ex- 
tension of  business. 

We  affectionately  and  earnestly  warn  all  to  "  take 
heed  and  beware  of  covetousness,  which  is  idolatry;" 
w^hether  it  be  in  making  haste  to  be  rich  by  embark- 
ing in  large  business,  or  by  indulging  a  penurious  and 
hoarding  disposition  in  a  smaller  way.  It  is  a  saying 
which  experience  abundantly  verifies,  that  "  they  that 
will  be  rich,  fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and  into 
many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which  drown  men  in 
destruction  and  perdition :  for  the  love  of  money  is 
the  root  of  all  evil,  which,  while  some  have  coveted 
after,  they  have  erred  from  the  faith  and  pierced  them- 
selves through  with  many  sorrows." 

One  of  the  great  deceptions  to  which  mankind  are 
liable,  is  looking  for  happiness  where  it  is  not  to  be 
found ;  and  being  ensnared  by  the  love  of  the  world 
and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches,  they  miss  the  true  en- 
joyment, as^^ell  as  the  great  object,  of  life,  which  are 
only  to  be  found  in  the  love  and  service  of  God. 

May  all  then  abide  under  the  daily  cross,  whereby 
the  earthly  mind,  which  hath  its  delight  in  the  plea- 
sures and  treasures,  and  fashions  of  the  worfd,  may 
be  crucified ;  that  being  redeemed  out  of  these  things, 
which  so  manifestly  hinder  the  progress  of  the  soul 
heavenward,  we  may  become,  more  and  more,  a  seri- 
ous and  self-denying  people,  adorning  the  doctrine  of 
God  our  Saviour  in  all  things. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 


77 


PARENTS  AND  CHILDREN. 

We  affectionately  entreat  those  who  are  placed  in 
the  responsible  stations  of  parents  and  caretakers  of 
children,  to  endeavour  to  train  them  up,  by  precept  and 
example,  in  a  holy  life  and  conversation,  and  in  sim- 
plicity and  plainness  of  attire  and  language ;  remem- 
bering that  they  are  precious  lambs  entrusted  to  their 
care,  by  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  to  whom 
they  must  give  an  account  for  their  souls,  in  the  day 
when  he  shall  make  inquisition  into  their  stewardship. 
Much  depends  upon  the  example  set  before  them  ;  the 
minds  of  children  being  very  quick  in  discerning  what 
objects  have  the  first  place  in  the  affections  of  those 
who  are  over  them. 

If  they  see  that  the  parents'  hearts  are  set  upon  the 
things  of  this  life — that  they  are  fond  of  making  a 
show  and  appearance  among  men — running  greedily 
after  gain,  though  perhaps  derived  from  small  earnings 
or  penurious  savings — or  that  they  are  adorning  their 
houses  and  children  with  finery  and  costly  things; 
their  infant  minds  will  soon  imbibe  similar  views  and 
feelings,  and  be  estranged  from  the  simplicity  of  the 
cross  of  Christ,  and  the  love  of  their  Redeemer. 

In  the  ordering  of  divine  providence,  great  influence 
is  attached  to  the  parental  relation ;  and  where  its  du- 
ties are  faithfully  performed  in  the  fear  and  counsel  of 
the  Lord,  restraining  in  the  holy  authority  which  he 
gives,  as  well  as  admonishing  and  persuading  them  in 
his  love — we  believe  the  declaration  will  be  verified, 
"  train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when 
he  is  oH,  he  will  not  depart  from  it." 

Although  we  have  always  believed,  that  the  first- 
#8 


78 


THE  AXCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 


day  of  the  week  is  not  the  Christian  sabbath,  (that 
being  a  state  of  spiritual  rest  to  the  soul)  and  that 
there  is  no  inherent  holiness  in  it  above  any  other  day,  it 
being  our  duty  to  keep  every  day  holy  unto  the  Lord, — 
and  that  agreeably  to  the  saying  of  the  apostle,  no 
man  is  to  judge  us  in  respect  of  an  holy  day,  or  of 
the  sabbath  days,  which  are  a  shadow  of  things  to 
come;  yet  we  have  ever  been  concerned  to  enjoin 
upon  all  our  members,  the  due  observance  of  that 
day,  as  a  season  of  rest  from  all  unnecessary  labour, 
and  of  religious  retirement  and  meditation. 

We  wish  renewedly  to  impress  upon  parents,  the 
importance  of  having  their  families  collected  during 
that  part  of  first-day  which  is  not  appropriated  to 
public  worship,  that  they  may  be  kept  from  unprofit- 
able company,  from  idly  rambling  abroad,  or  needless 
visiting ;  and  pass  the  time  in  suitable  religious  read- 
ing or  other  serious  employment;  that  thus  they  may 
not  only  reap  the  benefit  of  setting  apart  one  day  in 
the  week,  more  particularly  for  religious  purposes,  but 
that  our  example  as  a  religious  Society  may  be  such 
as  becomes  a  people  professing  godliness. 

We  feel  a  fear,  lest  there  are  some  parents  who  are 
so  bound  to  their  worldly  interest,  as  to  have  little  con- 
cern for  their  offspring,  neglecting  both  their  literary 
and  religious  education;  and  others,  who  are  in  a 
state  of  lukewarmness  respecting  the  everlasting  well- 
being  of  their  interesting  charge;  and  from  an  unwil- 
lingness to  cross  their  inclinations  and  exercise  a 
salutary  restraint,  are  suffering  them  to  indulge  in 
many  hurtful  things,  and  to  wander  from  the  path  of 
self-denial. 

Great  must  be  tlie  condemnation  of  such  parents,  in 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  79 


a  day  to  come,  if  they  persist  in  such  courses.  Instead 
of  "their  children  rising  up  and  calling  them  blessed," 
it  may  be  sorrowfully  the  case,  that  the  sins  of  the 
children  will  be  in  some  measure  chargeable  upon  the 
neglect  of  the  parents,  and  not  only  be  visited  upon 
them  by  bitterness  and  anguish  in  this  Hfe,  but  add  to 
their  guilt  in  that  which  will  never  have  an  end. 

O  then,  look  to  yourselves,  we  beseech  you,  and 
discharge  your  trust  for  God,  and  for  the  good  of  their 
souls, — exhorting  in  meekness,  and  commanding  in 
wisdom ;  that  so  you  may  minister  and  reach  to  the 
■witness,  and  help  them  over  their  temptations  in  the 
authority  of  the  Lord's  power;  and  when  they  feel 
themselves  helped  and  delivered,  their  souls  will  bless 
God  on  your  behalf,  and  you  will  reap  the  comfort  of 
your  labour. 

We  feel  a  fervent  exercise  on  behalf  of  the  visited 
children  of  our  heavenly  Father,  in  w^hose  view  the 
glory  of  this  world  has  been  stained,  and  their  spiritual 
eyes  anointed  to  see  the  transcendent  beauty  and  ex- 
cellency of  the  pure  unchangeable  truth.  We  appre- 
hend these  are  often  discouraged,  in  beholding  the 
declension  from  ancient  zeal  and  uprightness  ;  and 
that  unless  they  are  watchful,  and  singly  attentive  to 
their  heavenly  Counsellor,  they  may  be  induced  to  set- 
tle down  at  ease,  short  of  the  attainment  of  that  entire 
redemption  and  sanctification,  w^hich  is  held  up  as  the 
mark  for  the  Christian  to  aim  at.  Lean  not,  we  be- 
seech you,  upon  the  arm  of  flesh,  in  yourselves,  or 
even  in  the  most  favoured  of  the  Lord's  instruments, 
but  let  your  dependence  be  upon  God  alone.  In  this 
day  of  unsettlement  and  shaking,  there  are  many 
voices  to  be  heard  which  are  not  in  unison  with  the 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OP 


voice  of  Christ  Jesus,  our  holy  Shepherd  ;  and  your 
safety  will  very  much  depend  upon  maintaining, 
through  divine  assistance,  a  state  of  inward  retire- 
ment and  stiHness  of  mind ;  that  so  you  may  be  fa- 
voured 10  distinguish  his  voice  from  that  of  the  stran- 
ger ;  and  reverently  to  wait  on  Him  for  the  unfoldings 
of  his  blessed  will  concerning  you. 

In  this  state  of  patient  waiting  for  Christ,  and  child- 
like obedience  to  His  requirings,  you  will  be  safely 
led  forward  in  your  Christian  course,  step  by  step,  as 
He  sees  you  are  able  to  bear  it ;  your  experience  and 
knowledge  in  divine  things  will  be  gradually  enlarged 
by  Him ;  you  will  be  preserved  from  falling  into  errors 
in  faith  or  practice;  and  from  running  before  your 
guide,  and  engaging  in  things,  which,  however  laud- 
able in  themselves,  are  not  the  work  in  which  He 
designs  you  should  be  employed. 

As  you  thus  rely  in  simple  faith  upon  Him  and  His 
teaching,  following  whithersoever  He  leads, — but  not 
daring  to  move  without  His  putting  forth,  He  will  not 
fail,  in  His  own  time  and  way,  clearly  to  open  before 
you  the  path  of  allotted  service,  and  to  give  you  wis- 
dom and  strength  faithfully  to  walk  therein.  He  will 
baptize  you  again  and  again,  with  the  baptism  of  His 
own  Spirit,  in  order  that  the  vessel  may  be  sanctified 
and  kept  clean  for  the  reception  and  occupancy  of 
the  gifts  which  He  may  see  meet  to  bestow  upon  you, 
for  the  edification  of  His  church;  and  as  you  diligently 
employ  these  in  His  fear,  and  to  IJis  glory,  depending 
upon  the  strength  which  comes  from  Him,  you  will, 
through  His  mercy,  be  numbered  among  those,  who, 
"  having  served  their  generation  by  the  will  of  God," 
shall  receive  "  the  end  of  their  faith,  even  the  salvation 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEXDS. 


81 


of  their  souls,"  and  hear  the  consoling  language, 
"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant, — enter  thou 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

Ii^  presenting  these  innportant  subjects  at  this  time 
to  the  serious  and  weighty  attention  of  our  beloved 
Friends,  we  would  affectionately  and  earnestly  exhort 
all  to  let  them  have  due  place  in  their  minds,  and  to 
be  steadfast  and  unmoveable  in  the  faithful  maintenance 
of  all  our  doctrines  and  testimonies,  always  abounding 
in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  scrupulously  guarding 
against  every  thing  which  w^ould  tend  to  weaken  their 
attachment  to  our  holy  profession. 

In  connexion  with  this  subject,  we  believe  it  right 
to  spread  a  caution  against  the  indiscriminate  reading 
of  books,  which  purport  to  be  of  a  rehgious  charac- 
ter. Many  of  these  contain  much  that  is  inconsistent 
with  our  Christian  principles  and  testimonies, — and 
though  interspersed  with  other  matter,  which  is 
sound  and  instructive,  yet  this  is  rather  calculated  to 
render  such  works  more  injurious,  serving  as  a  cover 
for  erroneous  opinions,  and  thus  more  easily  insinuat- 
ing them  into  the  mind.  That  the  course  of  reading 
pursued  by  individuals,  has  a  direct  and  powerful  ten- 
dency to  mould  their  religious  sentiments  and  prac- 
tices, is  a  truth  abundantly  confirmed  by  observation. 
It  has  also  been  found,  in  the  experience  of  many,  that 
the  frequent  and  familiar  perusal  of  treatises  and  forms 
of  expression  in  reference  to  religious  topics,  which 
are  not  in  accordance  with  our  view^s  of  the  spiritual- 
ity and  purity  of  the  gospel — and  of  modes  of  defin- 
ing and  explaining  doctrines,  which  differ  from  the 
simple  and  scriptural  methods  used  by  the  Society 
although  they  may  at  first  strike  us  unpleasantly  an 


^  THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY  OF 

as  being  objectionable,  yet  by  frequent  repetition  and 
dwelling  upon  them,  this  feeling  is  lost ;  the  mind  is 
gradually  led  to  look  upon  them  as  matters  of  indif- 
ference, or  of  very  little  moment,  and  thus  by  degrees 
imperceptible  perhaps  to  its  clouded  vision,  the  w^ay 
is  prepared  for  its  departure  from  a  full  belief  and  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  Truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

We  believe,  that  in  this  way,  many  sincere  and 
seeking  minds,  who  have  been  sensible  of  the  day  of 
the  Lord's  merciful  visitation,  and  measurably  yielded 
thereto,  have  lost  their  strength,  become  involved 
in  doubt  and  perplexity, — and  for  want  of  keeping 
singly  to  the  unfoldings  of  the  light  of  Christ,  "  blind- 
ness in  part  hath  happened  unto  them so  that  after 
having  begun  in  the  Spirit,  and  run  well  for  a  time, 
they  have  turned,  as  it  were,  to  the  beggarly  elements, 
and  sought  to  be  made  perfect  by  the  works  of  the 
flesh.  Thus,  the  unsanctified  activity  of  the  natural 
mind  getting  up,  they  have  grown  weary  of  the  path 
of  self-denial  and  the  daily  cross,  and  of  "  the  patient 
waiting  for  Christ," — have  marred  the  work  of  re- 
generation in  their  own  hearts,  and  eventually  thrown 
off  their  religious  profession. 

Next  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  we  would  recommend 
all  to  read  frequently  in  the  writings  of  our  worthy 
predecessors.  In  them  may  be  found  clear  and  en- 
larged views  of  Christian  doctrine  and  practice,  given 
forth  by  men  who  were  subject  to  the  divine  govern- 
ment in  themselves ;  and  having  tasted  of  the  good 
word  of  life,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come, 
could  testify  from  living  experience,  to  the  blessed 
efficacy  and  truth  of  the  principles  they  professed. 
They  furnish  us  also  with  lively  and  instructive  ex- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS.  83 


amples  of  love  to  God  and  faith  in  Christ ;  of  zeal 
and  devotedness  to  his  cause — of  patient,  unwearied 
labours,  and  the  meek  endurance  of  privations,  re- 
proach, derision,  and  cruel  persecution,  even  unto 
death,  for  the  spread  of  the  kingdom  of  their  dear 
Redeemer,  and  the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience ; 
and  as  a  convincing  evidence  of  the  reahty  of  their 
religion,  a  fulness  of  peace  and  joy,  and  a  well- 
grounded  hope  of  immortality  and  eternal  life,  when 
brought  upon  the  bed  of  sickness  and  of  death.  Let 
us,  then,  be  conversant  with  the  waitings  of  these 
devoted  servants  of  Christ,  and  endeavour,  through  di- 
vine assistance,  to  follow  in  their  footsteps,  and  main- 
tain the  same  faith ;  that  so,  in  the  end,  we  may  reap 
the  same  blessed  and  everlastingly  glorious  reward. 

May  all  carefully  avoid  a  disputatious  spirit,  that 
would  be  cavilUng  about  niceties  of  doctrine,  and 
questions  which  gender  strife  and  contention, — seeking 
to  be  wise  above  what  is  w^ritten  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures,— and  to  reason  and  argue  about  those  things, 
which  Divine  Providence  has  not  seen  meet  to  reveal 
to  us.  And  let  all  beware  of  resting  in  a  bare  ac- 
knowledgment, even  of  the  most  sound  and  consistent 
principles;  ever  remembering,  that  a  profession  of  the 
Truth  will  add  to  our  condemnation,  if  we  are  not 
endeavouring  to  live  in  conformity  with  it.  It  is  only 
as  we  bow  to  the  visitations  of  divine  love,  in  mercy 
extended  to  our  souls,  and  submit  to  the  heart-chang- 
ing and  sanctifying  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that 
we  can  show  forth  in  our  life  and  conversation,  the 
blessed  effects  of  the  doctrines  we  profess,  even  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  which  are  declared  to  be  "love, 
joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith. 


84 


THE  ANCIENT  TESTIMONY,  &C. 


meekness  and  temperance."  Without  these,  the  most 
correct  belief  will  be  "  but  as  sounding  brass  and  a 
tinkling  cymbal."  Our  blessed  Lord  has  solemnly 
declared,  "  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord, 
Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  he 
that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
And  as  we  make  a  high  profession  of  the  inward  work 
of  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  in  redeeming  the  soul  from 
every  sinful  lust  and  inordinate  affection ;  separating 
it  from  an  undue  attachment  to  the  things  of  time  and 
sense,  and  fixing  its  hopes  on  those  enduring  treasures 
which  are  laid  up  in  heaven  for  the  righteous, — so  if 
we  fail  to  show  forth  these,  its  certain  and  happy 
effects,  in  our  daily  walk  among  men, — we  shall  not 
only  baulk  our  holy  profession,  but  bring  upon  our- 
selves greater  condemnation,  than  those  whose  eyes 
have  not  been  anointed  to  see  so  fully  into  the  nature 
of  the  religion  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 
May  we  then,  dear  Friends,  under  a  solemn  sense  of 
our  great  responsibility  as  His  professed  followers,  be 
incited  to  a  jealous  watchfulness  over  ourselves,  and 
a  holy  fear  lest  we  fall  short  of  the  mark  for  the  prize 
of  our  high  calling,  which  is  no  less  than  Christian 
perfection ;  that,  daily  seeking  to  the  Lord  for  strength 
and  wisdom,  we  may  be  enabled  to  overcome  the 
wicked  one, — and  doing  the  will  of  God  from  the 
heart,  we  may,  through  His  adorable  mercy,  experi- 
ence preservation  from  the  evils  which  abound  in  the 
world,  and  be  prepared  to  stand  with  acceptance  be- 
fore the  Son  of  Man. 

Signed  by  direction  and  on  behalf  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  _ 
aforesaid. 

WILLIAM  EVANS,  Clerk  this  year. 


A 

"^BRIEF  STATEMENT 

OF  THE 

RISE    AND  PROGRESS 

OF  THE  TESTIMONY  OF  THE 

RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS, 

AGAINST 

SLAVERY   AND   THE   SLAVE  TRADE. 


Published  by  direction  of  the  Yearly  Meeting,  held  in 
Philadelphia,  in  the  Fourth  month,  1843. 


PHILADE  LPHI a: 

PRINTED  BY  JOSEPH  AND  WILLIAM  KITE, 
No  50  North  Fourth  Street, 


1843. 


At  a  Yearly  Meeting  held  in  Philadelphia,  by  adjournments 
from  the  17th  of  the  Fourth  month  to  the  22nd  of  the  same, 
inclusive,  1843. 

A  history  of  the  rise  and  spread  of  a  religious  concern  among 
Friends  in  this  country,  on  account  of  holding  their  fellow  men 
in  bondage,  and  showing  its  progress  in  meetings  and  among  the 
members,  until  slavery  was  abolished  within  the  Society,  by  the 
persevering  efforts  of  indefatigable  labourers,  having  been  pre- 
pared by  the  Meeting  for  Sufferings,  it  was  read  and  approved ; 
and  that  meeting  directed  to  have  such  an  edition  printed  as 
they  may  deem  expedient ;  and  circulate  the  work  among  our 
members  and  others. 

•  Extracted  from  the  Minutes, 

William  Evans, 

Clerk  to  the  Meeting  this  year. 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  was  intended  to  include  in  the  following  pages, 
an  account  of  the  labours  of  Friends,  in  all  the  Yearly 
Meetings  where  slavery  once  existed,  to  induce  the 
members  to  set  their  slaves  free ;  and  letters  were 
accordingly  addressed  with  a  view  of  procuring  the 
information  necessary  for  drawing  up  such  a  sketch. 
From  two  of  the  Yearly  Meetings,  however,  the  in- 
formation could  not  be  obtained ;  as  the  documents  in 
relation  to  the  subject  were  so  circumstanced,  as  not 
^  to  be  readily  accessible.  It  is  believed,  however,  that 
the  means  used  in  the  limits  of  those  meetings  to  con- 
vince the  understandings  of  the  members  of  the  iniquity 
of  slave  holding,  and  to  induce  them  to  give  the  negro 
the  enjoyment  of  his  natural  right  to  liberty,  were 
essentially  the  same  as  those  detailed  in  the  subsequent 
narrative. 

It  is  obvious,  that  in  so  brief  a  space  as  this  essay 
affords,  a  very  imperfect  view  of  the  arduous  and 
unwearied  labours  of  the  Society  in  the  cause  of  free- 
dom could  be  given ;  but  perhaps  enough  is  said  to 
show  the  benefit  of  patient,  persevering  labour,  under 
the  influence  of  gospel  love,  in  checking,  and  finally 
eradicating  an  evil,  which  long-established  custom  had 
sanctioned,  and  which  was  interwoven  with  all  the 
social  relations,  and  with  the  strongest  feelings  of  self 
interest.  Should  it  happily  be  the  means  of  inciting 
others  to  pursue  the  same  course  in  reference  to 
slavery,  the  object  of  its  publication  will  be  obtained. 


A 


BRIEF  STATEMENT,  &c. 


It  having  pleased  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  to 
enhghten  the  minds  of  some  of  our  early  Friends  to 
see  the  iniquity  of  holding  their  fellow  men  in  bondage, 
at  a  time  when  many  of  our  members  were  themselves 
slaveholders  ;  and  the  Society  of  Friends  having  been, 
through  faithfulness,  favoured  to  clear  itself  of  that 
opprobrium  of  the  Christian  world,  we  have  thought 
that  a  narrative  of  the  steps  by  which  this  reforma- 
tion was  effected,  would  be  both  strengthening  to  those 
who,  being  slaveholders,  feel  the  awfulness  of  their 
responsibility ;  and  encouraging  to  all  as  an  example 
of  patient  perseverance  in  bearing  a  faithful  testimony 
in  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of  the  gospel,  against 
the  evils  which  are  in  the  world. 

At  the  time  when  the  Society  of  Friends  arose, 
there  were  great  numbers  of  slaves  in  the  British  pos- 
sessions, more  especially  in  the  West  Indies,  Virginia 
and  the  Carolinas.  Many  of  their  owners  were  among 
the  early  converts  to  our  Society,  and  Friends  who 
had  emigrated  thither  from  England,  fell  into  the  cus- 
tom and  purchased  slaves. 

We  learn  this  from  the  earnest  exhortations  of 
George  Fox  and  his  fellow  labourers  to  Friends  to 

-1* 


6 


SLAVERY  AND 


treat  their  slaves  with  Christian  care  and  humanity, 

and  to  prepare  them  for  freedom. 

Such  was  the  counsel  given  by  George  Fox  to 
Friends  in  Barbadoes  in  1671. 

"Respecting  their  negroes,  I  desired  them,"  says 
he  in  his  journal,  "  to  endeavour  to  train  them  up  in 
the  fear  of  God,  as  v^ell  those  that  were  bought  with 
their  money,  as  them  that  were  born  in  their  families, 
that  all  might  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  ; 
that  so  with  Joshua  every  master  of  a  family  might 
say,  *  As  for  me  and  my  house  we  will  serve  the  Lord.' 
I  desired  also  that  they  would  cause  their  overseers  to 
deal  mildly  and  gently  with  their  negroes,  and  not  use 
cruelty  towards  them  as  the  manner  of  some  hath  been 
and  is ;  and  that  after  certain  years  of  servitude  they 
should  make  them  free." 

In  a  public  discourse  spoken  in  that  island,  he  bears 
the  following  remarkable  testimony:  "  let  me  tell  you 
it  will  doubtless  be  very  acceptable  to  the  Lord,  if  so 
be  that  masters  of  families  here,  would  deal  so  with 
their  servants,  the  negroes  and  blacks  whom  they  have 
bought  with  their  money,  [as]  to  let  them  go  free  after 
they  have  served  faithfully  a  considerable  term  of 
years,  be  it  thirty  years  after,  more  or  less,  and  when 
they  go  and  are  made  free,  let  them  not  go  away 
empty  handed," 

George  Fox  visited  that  island  in  company  with 
Wm.  Edmundson,  and  their  earnest  labours  with  the 
masters  on  behalf  of  the  slaves,  gave  rise  to  a  report 
that  they  were  exciting  the  latter  to  revolt ;  a  report 
which  George  Fox  promptly  pronounced  to  be  a 
wicked  slander.  Four  years  afterwards,  William  Ed- 
mundson again  visited  the  island;  and  the  same  slan- 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


7 


ders  being  revived,  he  was  taken  before  the  governor, 
as  appears  by  his  journal. 

It  was  probably  during  this  second  visit  that  he  ad- 
dressed an  epistle  to  Friends  of  Maryland,  Virginia, 
and  other  parts  of  America,  which  contains  the  fol- 
lowing passage  :  "  And  must  not  negroes  feel  and  par- 
take the  liberty  of  the  gospel,  that  they  may  be  won 
to  the  gospel  ?  Is  there  no  year  of  jubilee  for  them  ? 
Did  not  God  make  us  all  of  one  mould  ?  And  did  not 
Jesus  Christ  shed  his  blood  for  us  all  ?  And  what  if 
they  were  of  Ham's  stock,  and  w^ere  to  be  servants  of 
servants  1  hath  not  that  been  fulfilled  upon  them  ?  and 
must  that  yoke  always  rest  upon  their  bodies,  or  ra- 
ther be  laid  upon  Ham's  spirit  wherever  it  is  ?  and 
doth  not  Christ  take  away  that  wall  of  partition  be- 
tween people  and  people  ?  and  is  it  not  now  that  God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons,  but  of  every  nation,  tongue 
and  people,  he  that  fears  God  and  works  righteousness 
shall  find  mercy?  and  should  not  we  show  forth  the 
mercies  and  kindness  of  God  to  our  fellow  creatures  ? 
And  doth  not  the  prophet  say  the  Lord  will  stretch 
forth  his  hand  to  Ethiopia,  and  will  set  up  his  altar  in 
Figyipt  which  David  several  times  calls  the  land  of 
Ham  ?  And  Christ's  command  is  to  do  to  others  as  we 
would  have  them  to  do  to  us ;  and  which  of  you  all 
would  have  the  blacks  or  others  to  make  you  their 
slaves  without  hope  or  expectation  of  freedom  or  lib- 
erty 1  Would  not  this  be  an  aggravation  upon  your 
minds  that  would  outbalance  all  other  comforts  ?  So 
make  their  conditions  your  own ;  for  a  good  conscience 
void  of  offence,  is  of  more  worth  than  all  the  world, 
and  Truth  must  regulate  all  wrongs  and  wrong  deal- 
ing." 


SLAVERY  AND 


These  extracts  prove  that  the  sin  of  slaveholding 
was  seen  in  its  true  hght  by  some  of  the  most  eminent 
of  our  early-  Friends.  That  many  bore  a  faithful  tes- 
timony from  that  time  forward,  will  be  shown  from 
the  ofRcial  records  of  the  Society. 

At  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jersey  held  in  1688,  a  paper  was  "presented  by  some 
German  Friends  concerning  the  lawfulness  and  un- 
lawfulness of  buying  and  keeping  of  negroes;  it  was 
adjudged  not  to  be  so  proper  for  this  meeting  to  give 
a  positive  judgment  in  the  case,  it  having  so  general 
a  relation  to  many  other  parts,  and  therefore  at  pre- 
sent they  forbear  it." 

Diligent  search  has  been  made  at  various  times  for 
the  paper  spoken  of  in  the  above  extract,  and  there  is 
reason  to  fear  that  it  is  no  longer  extant.  The  Ger- 
man Friends  who  presented  it  are  understood  to  have 
been  emigrants  from  Kreisheim,  who  had  estabhshed 
themselves  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Germantown. 

The  first  official  step  of  the  Society  in  regard  to 
trading  in  negroes,  appears  to  have  been  taken  by  the 
Yearly  Meeting  of  1696,  which  issued  the  following 
advice  to  its  members.  "  Whereas,  several  papers 
have  been  read  relating  to  the  keeping  and  bringing  in 
of  negroes ;  which  being  duly  considered,  it  is  the- 
advice  of  this  meeting,  that  Friends  be  careful  not  to 
encourage  the  bringing  in  of  any  more  negroes  ;  and 
that  such  that  have  negroes,  be  careful  of  them,  bring 
them  to  meetings,  have  meetings  with  them  in  their 
families,  and  restrain  them  from  loose  and  lewd  living 
as  much  as  in  them  lies,  and  from  rambling  abroad  on 
First-days  or  other  times." 

William  Penn  felt  and  mourned  over  the  state  of 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


9 


the  slaves,  but  his  attempts  to  improve  their  condition 
by  legal  enactments  were  defeated  in  the  House  of 
Assembly.  The  following  minute  of  the  monthly 
meeting  of  Philadelphia  made  in  1700,  bears  witness  to 
his  zeal  for  their  welfare.  "  Our  dear  Friend  and 
governor  having  laid  before  this  meeting  a  concern 
that  hath  laid  upon  his  mind  for  some  time  concerning 
the  negroes  and  Indians,  that  Friends  ought  to  be  very 
careful  in  discharging  a  good  conscience  towards 
them  in  all  respects,  but  more  especially  for  the  good 
of  their  souls,  and  that  they  might  as  frequent  as  may 
be,  come  to  meetings  upon  First-days,  upon  considera- 
tion whereof  this  meeting  concludes  to  appoint  a  meet- 
ing for  the  negroes,  to  be  kept  once  a  month,  &c.,  and 
that  their  masters  give  notice  thereof  in  their  own  fam- 
ihes,  and  be  present  with  them  at  the  said  meetings  as 
frequent  as  may  be." 

The  quarterly  meeting  of  Chester  was  at  that  time 
the  most  southern  branch  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  comprised  all  the  meetings  south 
of  Philadelphia  quarter,  as  far  as  Hopewell  in  Virginia. 
The  attention  of  its  members  was  early  turned  to  this 
subject,  and  in  the  Sixth  month,  1711,  the  following 
minute  of  that  quarter  was  sent  up  to  the  Yearly 
Meeting. 

"  Chester  monthly  meeting's  representatives  remind- 
ed this  meeting  that  their  meeting  was  dissatisfied  with 
Friends  buying  and  encouraging  the  bringing  in  of 
negroes,  and  desires  the  care  and  notice  of  the  Yearly 
Meeting ;  and  the  above  particulars  to  be  according 
to  order,  presented  by  the  representatives  of  this  meet- 
ing in  writing  to  the  next  Yearly  Meeting."  The 
Yearly  Meeting  of  that  year  notices  this  minute,  and 


10 


SLAVERY  AND 


adds,  that  "  after  a  due  consideration  of  the  matter, 
the  meeting  considering  that  Friends  in  many  other 
places  are  concerned  in  it  as  much  as  we  are,  advises 
that  Friends  may  be  careful,  according  to  a  former 
minute  of  this  Yearly  Meeting,  (1696,)  not  to  encour- 
age the  bringing  in  of  any  more ;  and  that  all  mer- 
chants and  factors  write  to  their  correspondents  to 
discourage  them  from  sending  any  more." 

In  the  following  year,  (1712,)  the  Yearly  Meeting  in 
its.  epistle  to  the  London  Yearly  Meeting,  expressed  its 
concern  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  and  pointed  out  the 
causes  of  the  increase  of  slaves,  in  the  following  strong 
language.  "  And  now  dear  Friends  we  impart  unto 
you  a  concern  that  hath  rested  on  our  minds  for  many 
years,  touching  the  importing  and  having  negro  slaves, 
and  detaining  them  and  their  posterity  as  such,  with- 
out any  limitation  or  time  of  redemption  from  that  con- 
dition. This  matter  was  laid  before  this  meeting  many 
years  ago,  and  the  thing  in  some  degree  discouraged, 
as  may  appear  by  a  minute  of  our  Yearly  Meeting, 
(1696,)  desiring  all  merchants  and  traders  professing 
Truth  among  us,  to  write  to  their  correspondents,  that 
they  send  no  more  negroes  to  be  disposed  of  as  above ; 
yet  notwithstanding,  as  our  settlements  increased,  so 
other  traders  flocked  in  amongst  us,  over  whom  we 
had  no  gospel  authority,  and  such  have  increased  and 
multiplied  negroes  amongst  us,  to  the  grief  of  divers 
Friends,  whom  we  are  willing  to  ease,  if  the  way 
might  open  clear  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  general ; 
and  it  being  last  Yearly  Meeting  again  moved,  and 
Friends  being  more  concerned  with  negroes  in  divers 
other  provinces  and  places,  than  in  these,  we  thought 
it  too  weighty  to  come  to  a  full  conclusion  therein ; 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


11 


this  meeting  therefore  desires  your  assistance  by  way 
of  counsel  and  advice  therein,  and  that  you  would  be 
pleased  to  take  the  matter  into  your  weighty  conside- 
ration, after  having  advised  with  Friends  in  the  other 
American  provinces,  and  give  us  your  sense  or  advice 
therein." 

The  tenor  of  the  advice  given  may  be  learned  from 
the  epistle  to  London  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  1714. 

"  We  also  kindly  received  your  advice  about  negro 
slaves,  and  w^e  are  one  with  you  that  the  multiplying  of 
them  may  be  of  dangerous  consequence,  and  therefore 
a  law  was  made  in  Pennsylvania,  laying  a  duty  of 
twenty  pounds  upon  every  one  imported  there,  which 
law  the  Queen  was  pleased  to  disannul.  We  could 
heartily  wish  that  a  way  might  be  found  to  stop  the 
bringing  in  more  here ;  or  at  least,  that  Friends  may 
be  less  concerned  in  buying  or  selling  of  any  that  may 
be  brought  in  ;  and  hope  for  your  assistance  with  the 
government,  if  any  farther  law  should  be  made,  dis- 
couraging the  importation.  We  know  not  of  any 
Friend  amongst  us,  that  has  any  hand  or  concern  in 
bringing  any  out  of  their  own  country  ;  and  we  are  of 
the  same  mind  with  you,  that  the  practice  is  not  com- 
mendable nor  allowable  amongst  Friends ;  and  we 
take  the  freedom  to  acquaint  you,  that  our  request  unto 
you  was,  that  you  would  be  pleased  to  consult  or  ad- 
vise with  Friends  in  other  plantations,  where  they  are 
more  numerous  than  with  us;  because  they  hold  a 
correspondence  with  you  but  not  with  us,  and  your 
meeting  may  better  prevail  with  them,  and  your  advice 
prove  more  effectual." 

"The  subject  was  again  introduced  from  the  subordi- 
nate meetings  into  Chester  quarterly  meeting,  in  1715, 


1^ 


SLAVERY  AND 


and  the  following  minute  forwarded  to  the  Yearly- 
Meeting  :  "  Chester  monthly  meeting  having  laid  be- 
fore this  meeting  that  they  are  under  a  great  concern 
at  Friends  being  concerned  in  importing  and  buying 
of  negroes,  and  do  request  the  concurrence  of  this 
meeting  with  them,  that  Friends  be  not  concerned  in 
the  importing  and  bringing  of  them ;  and  Newark 
monthly  meeting  also  requesting  the  discouraging  of  ' 
the  same  practice  ;  this  meeting  taking  the  same  into 
their  serious  and  weighty  consideration,  it  is  the  unan- 
imous sense  and  judgment  of  this  meeting,  that  Friends 
should  not  be  concerned  in  the  importing  and  bringing 
of  negro  slaves  for  the  future  ;  and  that  the  same  be 
laid  before  the  next  Yearly  Meeting  for  their  concur- 
rence therein."  All  that  the  Yearly  Meeting  was  able 
to  do  at  this  time  is  expressed  in  the  following  minute 
of  that  year,  (1715) :  "If  any  Friends  are  concerned 
in  the  importation  of  negroes,  let  them  be  dealt  with 
and  advised  to  avoid  that  practice,  according  to  the 
sense  of  former  meetings  in  that  behalf ;  and  that  all 
Friends  who  have  or  keep  negroes,  do  use  and  treat 
them  with  humanity  and  with  a  Christian  spirit ;  and 
that  all  do  forbear  judging  or  reflecting  oi^one  another, 
either  in  public  or  private,  concerning  the  detaining 
or  keeping  them  servants." 

The  Friends  of  Chester  quarterly  meeting,  not  rest- 
ing easy  under  this  minute,  renewed  their  solicitations 
in  the  following  year.  By  minute  of  Fourth  month, 
25th,  1716,  Chester  monthly  meeting  desires  that  the 
quarterly  meeting  will  take  into  their  further  conside- 
ration, the  buying  and  selling  of  negroes,  which  gives 
great  encouragement  for  the  bringing  of  them  in  :  and 
that  no  Friends  be  found  in  the  practice  of  buying  any 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


13 


that  shall  be  imported  hereafter."  This  minute  was 
forwarded  by  the  quarterly  to  the  Yeai'ly  Meeting, 
where  it  met  with  but  a  cold  reception,  viz. 

"  As  to  the  proposal  from  Chester  meeting  about 
negroes,  there  being  no  more  in  it  than  was  proposed 
to  the  last  Yearly  iMeeting,  this  meeting  cannot  see 
any  better  conclusion,  than  what  was  the  judgment  of 
the  last  meeting,  and  therefore  do  confirm  the  same  ; 
and  yet  in  condescension  to  such  Friends  as  are  strait- 
ened in  their  minds  against  the  holding  them,  it  is  de- 
sired, that  Friends  generally  do,  as  much  as  may  be, 
avoid  buying  such  negroes  as  shall  hereafter  be 
brought  in,  rather  than  offend  any  Friends  who  are 
against  it ;  yet  this  is  only  caution  and  not  censure." 

It  thus  appears  that  all  that  could  at  this  time  be 
gained,  was  to  prohibit  Friends  from  bringing  in  ne- 
groes from  Africa  or  elsewhere,  and  to  advise  that 
they  should  not  purchase  such  as  were  imported,  and 
that  they  treat  with  humanity  and  in  a  Christian  man- 
ner, those  already  in  their  possession. 

The  first  step  being  thus  taken,  and  the  meeting  not 
being  prepared  to  go  further,  an  interval  of  ten  years 
occurs  without  any  notice  of  the  subject,  but  in  which 
the  sentiments  of  Friends  appear  to  have  been  prepar- 
ing for  another  advance  in  this  righteous  testimony. 

In  the  Fifth  month,  1729,  the  faithful  Friends'^  of 
Chester  montlily  meeting  "  offer  to  the  quarterly  meet- 
ing, that  inasmuch  as  we  are  restricted  by  a  rule  of 
discipline  from  being  concerned  in  fetching  or  import- 
ing negro  slaves  from  their  own  country,  whether  it  is 
not  as  reasonable  we  should  be  restricted  from  buvincr 
of  them  when  imported  ;  and  if  so,  and  the  quarterly 

2 


14 


SLAVERY  AND 


meeting  see  meet,  that  it  may  be  laid  before  the  Yearly 
Meeting  for  their  approbation  and  concurrence."  The 
substance  of  this  minute  was  adopted  by  the  quarterly 
meeting,  and  sent  to  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  that  year, 
(1729,)  which  deferred  the  consideration  for  one  year, 
and  in  1730,  issued  the  following  advice. 

"  The  Friends  of  this  meeting  resuming  the  consi- 
deration of  the  proposition  of  Chester  meeting,  relating 
to  the  purchasing  of  such  negroes  as  may  hereafter  be 
imported ;  and  having  reviewed  and  considered  the 
former  minutes  relating  thereto,  and  having  maturely 
deliberated  thereon,  are  now  of  opinion,  that  Friends 
ought  to  be  very  cautious  of  making  any  such  pur- 
chases for  the  future,  it  being  disagreeable  to  the  sense 
of  this  meeting.  And  this  meeting  recommends  it  to 
the  care  of  the  several  monthly  meetings,  to  see  that 
such  who  may  be,  or  are  likely  to  be  found  in  that 
practice,  niay  be  admonished  and  cautioned  how  they 
offend  herein.'* 

This  advice  was  renewed  in  1735,  and  repeated 
annually  thereafter  (with  the  exception  of  1740,)  until 
1743  ;  and  it  appears  that  reports  were  annually  sent 
up,  stating  the  care  of  the  subordinate  meetings  in 
these  particulars. 

From  the  minutes  of  several  of  the  meetings,  it  ap- 
pears that  frequent  labour  was  extended  from  this  time 
forward,  to  induce  those  who  were  in  the  way  of  buy- 
ing or  of  selling  slaves,  to  cease  from  the  practice. 

In  the  First  month,  1738,  Haddonfield  quarterly 
meeting  directed  the  monthly  meetings  to  make  inqui- 
ry into,  and  to  answ^er  in  their  reports,  the  situation 
of  their  members,  "  respecting  the  buying  and  selling 
slaves." 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE.  15 

In  the  Seventh  month  of  that  year,  the  monthly 
meetings  reported  that  they  were  mostly  clear  of  buy- 
ing and  selling  slaves. 

That  this  labour  was  not  ineffectual,  and  that  it  was 
not  confined  to  a  single  quarterly  meeting,  is  apparent 
from  the  followins;  minute. 

"  Divers  Friends  in  this  meeting,"  says  the  Yearly 
Meeting  of  1738,  "expressed  their  satisfaction  in  find- 
ing by  the  reports  of  the  quarterly  meetings,  that  there 
is  so  little  occasion  of  offence  given  by  Friends  con- 
cerning the  encouraging  the  importing  of  negroes ; 
and  this  meeting  desires  the  care  of  Friends  in  their 
quarterly  and  monthly  meetings,  in  this  particular, 
may  be  continued." 

In  the  year  1743,  the  following  query  was  adopted, 
and  directed  to  be  regularly  answered  :* 

*'  11th.  Do  Friends  observe  the  former  advice  of 
our  Yearly  Meeting,  not  to  encourage  the  importation 
of  negroes  ;  nor  to  buy  them  after  imported  ?' 

*  The  meetings  for  discipline  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  are  of  four 
grades,  Preparative,  Monthly,  Quarterly  and  Yearly.  The  first  pre- 
pare the  business  for  the  Monthly  Meetings,  which  may  be  considered 
the  executive  part  of  the  Society  ;  the  Quarterly  Meetings  exercise  a 
supervisory  care  over  the  Preparative  and  Monthly,  which  are  subordi- 
nate to  them,  and  the  Yearly  Meeting  includes  the  whole ;  exercising 
a  general  care  over  all  departments  of  the  Society,  and  making  all  the 
rules  for  its  government.  The  queries  are  answered  by  the  inferior  to 
the  superior  meetings,  and  relate  to  the  due  attendance  of  the  members 
at  meetings  for  Divine  worship  and  for  the  transaction  of  the  discipline ; 
to  the  maintenance  of  love  and  unity ;  the  proper  religious  and  literary 
instruction  of  the  children;  the  care  of  the  poor;  the  observance  of 
temperance,  and  of  moderation  in  business,  manner  of  living,  &c. ;  the 
due  support  of  discipline,  and  of  the  various  Christian  testimonies  wliich 
the  Society  believes  itself  called  to  uphold.  The  answers  to  these  que- 
ries are  annually  sent  up  to  the  Yearly  Meeting,  so  as  to  place  before 
that  bedy  the  religious  condition  of  all  its  subordinate  branches. 


16 


SLAVERY  AND 


In  1755,  this  query  was  thus  modified : 
"  10th.  Are  Friends  clear  of  importing  or  buying 
negroes ;  and  do  they  use  those  well  which  they  are 
possessed  of  by  inheritance  or  otherwise ;  endeavour- 
ing to  train  them  up  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian 
religion  V* 

While  the  Society  was  thus  clearing  itself  of  the 
importing,  and  selling  and  purchasing  of  negroes,  the 
concern  was  spreading  on  account  of  slavery  itself, 
and  Friends  in  various  quarters,  felt  more  and  more 
deeply,  its  utter  repugnance  to  the  spirit  of  the  gos- 
pel. Among  the  foremost  of  these  were  John  Wool- 
man  and  Anthony  Benezet,  whose  writings  a  few  years 
subsequent  to  this  period,  had  so  great  an  influence 
upon  public  sentiment.  John  Woolman's  attention  was 
more  particularly  turned  to  this  subject  in  the  year 
1742,  in  consequence  of  being  requested  by  his  em- 
ployer to  write  a  bill  of  sale  for  a  negro  woman  whom 
he  had  sold.  The  thought  of  writing  an  instrument  of 
slavery  for  one  of  his  fellow  creatures  was  uneasy  to 
him;  yet  through  w^eakness  he  yielded;  but  at  the  exe- 
cution of  it  was  so  afflicted  in  his  mind,  that  he  felt 
constrained  in  the  presence  of  his  employer  and  the 
purchaser,  to  declare  his  belief  that  slave  keeping  w^as 
a  practice  inconsistent  with  the  Christian  religion. 
From  this  time  forward,  he  was  a  constant  and  earn- 
est pleader  wdth  his  brethren  for  the  liberty  of  the 
slave. 

In  the  year  1754,  he  pubhshed  his  Considerations 
on  the  Keeping  of  Negroes,  W'hich  was  widely  and 
usefully  circulated  among  Friends. 

In  the  same  year,  an  epistle  to  its  members,  the 
substance  of  which  was  sent  up  from  Philadelphia 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


ir 


monthly  meeting,  and  which  is  supposed  to  have  been 
from  the  pen  of  Anthony  Benezet,  was  issued  by  the 
Yearly  Meeting.  This  paper  shows  the  increasing 
hold  which  the  subject  had  taken  of  the  Society,  and 
is  a  document  well  worthy  of  being  again  revived.  It 
is  as  follows : 

"  Dear  Friends.  It  hath  frequently  been  the  concern 
of  our  Yearly  Meeting,  to  testify  their  uneasiness  and 
disunity  with  the  importation  and  purchasing  of  ne- 
groes and  other  slaves,  and  to  direct  the  overseers  of 
the  several  meetings,  to  advise  and  deal  with  such  as 
engage  therein ;  and  it  hath  likewise  been  the  contin- 
ued care  of  many  weighty  Friends,  to  press  those  that 
bear  our  name,  to  guard  as  much  as  possible,  against 
being  in  any  respect  concerned  in  promoting  the  bon- 
dage of  such  unhappy  people ;  yet  as  we  have  with 
sorrow  to  observe,  that  their  number  is  of  late  increas- 
ed amongst  us,  we  have  thought  proper  to  make  our 
advice  and  judgment  more  public,  that  none  may  plead 
ignorance  of  our  principles  therein  ;  and  also  again 
earnestly  exhort  all,  to  avoid  in  any  manner  encourag- 
ing that  practice,  of  making  slaves  of  our  fellow  crea- 
tures. 

"Now,  dear  Friends,  if  we  continually  bear  in  mind 
the  royal  law  of '  doing  to  others  as  we  would  be  done 
by,*  we  should  never  think  of  bereaving  our  fellow- 
creatures  of  that  valuable  blessing,  liberty,  nor  endure 
to  grow  rich  by  their  bondage.  To  live  in  ease  and 
plenty,  by  the  toil  of  those,  whom  violence  and  cruelty 
have  put  in  our  power,  is  neither  consistent  with  Chris- 
tianity nor  common  justice;  and  we  have  good  reason 
to  believe,  draws  down  the  displeasure  of  heaven ;  it 
being  a  melancholy,  but  true  reflection,  that  w^here 


13 


SLAVERY  AND 


slave  keeping  prevails,  pure  religion  and  sobriety  de- 
cline ;  as  it  evidently  tends  to  harden  the  heart,  and 
render  the  soul  less  susceptible  of  that  holy  spirit  of 
love,  meekness  and  charity,  which  is  the  peculiar  cha- 
racter of  a  true  Christian.  How  then  can  we,  who 
have  been  concerned  to  publish  the  gospel  of  univer- 
sal love  and  peace  among  mankind,  be  so  inconsistent 
with  ourselves,  as  to  purchase  such  who  are  prisoners 
of  war,  and  thereby  encourage  this  anti-Christian 
practice :  and  more  especially  as  many  of  those  poor 
creatures  are  stolen  away,  parents  from  children  and 
children  from  parents ;  and  others,  who  were  in  good 
circumstances  in  their  native  country,  inhumanly  torn 
from  what  they  esteemed  a  happy  situation,  and  com- 
pelled to  toil  in  a  state  of  slavery,  too  often  extremely 
cruel.  What  dreadful  scenes  of  murder  and  cruelty 
those  barbarous  ravages  must  occasion,  in  the  country 
of  those  unhappy  people,  are  too  obvious  to  mention. 
Let  us  make  their  case  our  own,  and  consider  what  we 
should  think,  and  how  we  should  feel,  were  we  in  their 
circumstances.  Remember  our  blessed  Redeemer's 
positive  command,  *  to  do  unto  others  as  we  would 
have  them  to  do  unto  us  ;'  and  that  with  what  measure 
we  meet,  it  shall  be  measured  to  us  again.  And  we 
intreat  all  to  examine,  whether  the  purchasing  of  a 
negro,  either  born  here,  or  imported,  doth  not  contri- 
bute to  a  further  importation,  and  consequently  to  the 
upholding  all  the  evils  above  mentioned,  and  promoting 
man-steahng, — the  only  theft  which  by  the  Mosaic  law 
was  punished  with  death.  <  He  that  stealeth  a  man 
and  selleth  him,  or  if  he  be  found  in  his  hands,  he  shall 
surely  be  put  to  death.' — Exod.  xxi.  16. 

"  The  characteristic  and  badge  of  a  true  Christian, 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


19 


is  love  and  good  works.  Our  Saviours  whole  life  on 
earth,  was  one  continued  exercise  of  them.  *  Love  one 
another,'  says  he,  *  as  I  have  loved  you.'  How  can 
we  be  said  to  love  our  brethren,  who  bring,  or  for  sel- 
fish ends,  keep  them  in  bondage  ?  Do  we  act  consistent 
with  this  noble  principle,  who  lay  such  heavy  burthens 
on  our  fellow  creatures  ]  Do  we  consider  that  they  are 
called,  and  sincerely  desire  that  they  may  become 
heirs  wath  us  in  glory ;  and  rejoice  in  the  liberty  of  the 
sons  of  God,  whilst  we  are  withholding  from  them  the 
common  liberties  of  mankind  ?  Or  can  the  Spirit  of 
God,  by  which  we  have  always  professed  to  be  led, 
be  the  author  of  those  oppressive  and  unrighteous  mea- 
sures ?  Do  we  not  thereby  manifest,  that  temporal 
interest  hath  more  influence  on  our  conduct  herein, 
than  the  dictates  of  that  merciful,  holy,  and  unerring 
Guide? 

"  And  we  hkewdse  earnestly  recommend  to  all  who 
have  slaves,  to  be  careful  to  come  up  in  the  perform- 
ance of  their  duty  towards  them  ;  and  to  be  particu- 
larly watchful  over  their  own  hearts ;  it  being  by 
sorrow^ful  experience  remarkable,  that  custom,  and  a 
familiarity  w  ith  evil  of  any  kind,  have  a  tendency  to 
bias  the  judgment,  and  deprave  the  mind  ;  and  it  is 
obvious,  that  the  future  welfare  of  these  poor  slaves 
who  are  now  in  bondage,  is  generally  too  much  disre- 
garded by  those  who  keep  them.  If  their  daily  task  of 
labour  be  but  fulfilled,  little  else  perhaps  is  thought  of ; 
nay,  even  that  which  in  others  would  be  looked  upon 
with  horror  and  detestation,  is  little  reo^arded  in  them 
by  their  masters,  such  as  the  frequent  separation  of 
husbands  from  wives,  and  wives  from  husbands, 
whereby  they  are  tempted  to  break  their  marriage 


20 


SLAVERY  AND 


covenants  and  live  in  adultery,  in  direct  opposition  to 
the  lavv^s  both  of  God  and  man.  As  v^^e  believe  that 
Christ  died  for  all  men,  v\-ithout  respect  of  persons ; 
how  fearful  then  ought  we  to  be  of  engaging  in  what 
hath  so  natural  a  tendency  to  lessen  our  humanity, 
and  of  suffering  ourselves  to  be  inured  to  the  exercise 
of  hard  and  cruel  measures,  lest  we  thereby  in  any 
degree,  lose  our  tender  and  feeling  sense  of  the  mise- 
ries of  our  fellov^  creatures,  and  become  worse  than 
those  who  have  not  believed. 

"  And  dear  Friends,  you,  who  by  inheritance,  have 
slaves  born  in  your  famihes,  we  beseech  you  to  consi- 
der them  as  souls  committed  to  your  trust,  whom  the 
Lord  will  require  at  your  hands ;  and  who,  as  well  as  ' 
you,  are  made  partakers  of  the  Spirit  of  Grace,  and 
called  to  be  heirs  of  salvation.  Let  it  be  your  con- 
stant care  to  watch  over  them  for  good,  instructing 
them  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  the  knowledge  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  that  they  may  answer  the  end  of  their 
creation,  and  God  be  glorified  and  honoured  by  them, 
as  well  as  by  us ;  and  so  train  them  up,  that  if  you 
should  come  to  behold  their  unhappy  situation  in  the 
same  light  that  many  worthy  men  who  are  at  rest 
have  done,  and  many  of  your  brethren  now  do,  and 
should  think  it  your  duty  to  set  them  free,  the.^^  may 
be  the  more  capable  to  make  a  proper  use  of  their  lib- 
erty. Finall}^  brethren,  we  intreat  you  in  the  bowels 
of  gospel  love,  seriously  to  weigh  the  cause  of  detain- 
ing them  in  bondage.  If  it  be  for  your  own  private 
gain,  or  any  other  motive  than  their  good,  it  is  much 
to  be  feared,  that  the  love  of  God  and  the  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  the  prevailing  principle  in  you, 
and  that  your  hearts  are  not  sufficiently  redeemed  from 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


21 


the  world;  which  that  you,  with  ourselves,  may  more 
and  more  come  to  witness,  through  the  cleansing  virtue 
of  the  holy  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  our  earnest  desire." 

The  Yearly  Meeting  of  the  next  year,  (1755,)  re- 
newed its  directions  to  the  subordinate  meetings,  to 
treat  with  those  who  imported,  and  bought  or  sold 
slaves,  by  the  following  minute. 

"The  consideration  of  the  inconsistency  of  the  prac- 
tice of  being  concerned  in  importing  or  buying  slaves, 
with  om'  Christian  principles ;  being  weightily  revived 
and  impressed,  by  very  suitable  advices  and  cautions 
given  on  the  occasion,  it  is  the  sense  and  judgment  of 
this  meeting,  that  where  any  transgress  this  rule  of 
our  discipline,  the  overseers  ought  speedily  to  inform 
the  monthly  meeting  of  such  transgressors,  in  order 
that  the  meeting  may  proceed  to  treat  further  with 
them,  as  they  may  be  directed  in  the  wisdom  of  Truth." 

In  the  year  1758,  it  issued  the  following  minute, 
which  continued  to  be  the  rule  of  discipline  on  the 
subject,  until  1776. 

"xA.fter  weighty  consideration  of  the  circumstances 
of  Friends  within  the  compass  of  this  meeting,  who 
have  any  negro  or  other  slaves,  the  accounts  and  pro- 
posals now  sent  up  from  several  quarters,  and  the  rules 
of  our  discipline  relative  thereto  ;  much  time  having 
been  spent,  and  the  sentiments  of  many  Friends  ex- 
pressed, there  appears  an  unanimous  concern  prevail- 
ing, to  put  a  stop  to  the  increase  of  the  practice  of 
importing,  buying,  selling,  or  keeping  slaves  for  term 
of  life;  or  purchasing  them  for  such  a  number  of  years, 
as  manifests  that  such  purchasers,  do  only  in  terms, 
and  not  in  fact,  avoid  the  imputation  of  being  keepers 
of  slaves.    This  meeting  very  earnestly  and  affection- 


22 


SLAVER?  AND 


ately  intreats  Friends,  individually,  to  consider  seri- 
ously the  present  circumstances  of  these  and  the  adja- 
cent provinces,  which,  by  the  permission  of  Divine 
Providence,  have  been  visited  with  the  desolating 
calamities  of  war  and  bloodshed,  so  that  many  of  our 
fellow-subjects  are  now  suffering  in  captivity;  and  fer- 
vently desires,  that,  excluding  temporal  considerations, 
or  views  of  self-interest,  we  may  manifest  an  humbling 
sense  of  these  judgments,  and  in  thankfulness  for  the 
peculiar  favour  extended  and  continued  to  our  Friends 
and  brethren  in  profession,  none  of  whom  have,  as  we 
have  yet  heard,  been  slain,  nor  carried  into  captivity, 
would  steadily  observe  the  injunction  of  our  Lord  and 
Master,  '  To  do  unto  others,  as  we  would  they  should 
do  unto  us which  it  now  appears  to  this  meeting, 
would  induce  such  Friends  who  have  any  slaves,  to 
set  them  at  liberty, — making  a  Christian  provision 
for  them,  according  to  their  ages,  &c.  And  in  order 
that  Friends  may  be  generally  excited  to  the  practice 
of  this  advice,  some  Friends  here  now  signified  to  the 
meeting,  their  being  so  fully  devoted  to  endeavour  to 
render  it  effectual,  that  they  are  willing  to  visit  and 
treat  with  all  such  Friends  who  have  any  slaves ;  the 
meeting  therefore,  approves  of  John  Woolman,  John 
Scarborough,  John  Sykes  and  Daniel  Stanton  under- 
taking that  service  ;  and  desires  some  elders  or  other 
faithful  Friends  in  each  quarter,  to  accompany  and 
assist  them  therein  ;  and  that  they  may  proceed  in  the 
wisdom  of  Truth,  and  thereby  be  qualified  to  administer 
such  advice  as  may  be  suitable  to  the  circumstances  of 
those  they  visit,  and  most  effectual  towards  obtaining 
that  purity,  which  it  is  evidently  our  duty  to  press 
after.  And  if  after  the  sense  and  judgment  of  this  meet- 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


23 


ing,  now  given  against  every  branch  of  this  practice, 
any  professing  with  us  should  persist  to  vindicate  it, 
and  be  concerned  in  importing,  seUing  or  purchasing 
slaves,  the  respective  monthly  meetings  to  which  they 
belong,  should  manifest  their  disunion  with  such  per- 
sons, by  refusing  to  permit  them  to  sit  in  meetings  for 
discipline,  or  to  be  employed  in  the  affairs  of  Truth,  or 
to  receive  from  them  any  contribution  towards  the 
relief  of  the  poor,  or  other  services  of  the  meeting.  But 
if  any  cases  of  executors,  guardians,  trustees,  or  any 
others  should  happen,  which  may  subject  any  such 
Friends  to  the  necessity  of  being  concerned  with  such 
slaves,  and  they  are  nevertheless  willing  to  proceed 
according  to  the  advice  of  the  monthly  meetings  they 
belong  to ;  wherever  such  cases  happen,  the  monthly 
meetings  are  left  to  judge  of  the  same  in  the  wisdom 
of  Truth,  and,  if  necessary^  to  take  the  advice  of  the 
quarterly  meeting  therein." 

The  records  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  show,  that  in 
almost  every  year  during  the  interval  from  1 758  to  1 776, 
the  subject  claimed  the  earnest  and  increasing  care  of 
the  meeting.  The  subordinate  meetings  were  exhorted 
to  labour  in  Christian  love  and  meekness  with  those 
who  offended  in  this  particular.  From  the  year  1767, 
regular  statements  of  this  labour,  and  of  the  success 
which  attended  it,  were  forwarded  to  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing, which  repeatedly  expressed  its  satisfaction  with 
the  care  and  concern  thus  manifested. 

An  examination  of  the  minutes  of  the  various  quar- 
terly and  monthly  meetings  has  shown  that  the  atten- 
tion of  Friends  was,  from  the  year  1758,  forward, 
steadily  directed  to  the  great  point  of  convincing  their 
fellow  members  who  held  slaves,  of  the  cruelty  and 


24 


SLAVERY  AND 


injustice  of  so  doing.  It  does  not  appear  that  many- 
were  disowned  for  purchasing  and  selling  negroes. 
The  forbearance,  and  yet  earnestness  of  the  course 
pursued,  had  the  happier  effect  of  inducing  the  greater 
number  to  abstain  from  doing  either ;  and  by  the  year 
1774,  the  Yearly  Meeting  maybe  said  to  have  cleared 
its  members  from  dealing  in  slaves. 

A  considerable  number  had  also  been  emancipated ; 
yet  still  the  holding  of  slaves  was  not  a  disownable 
offence,  nor  did  a  F riend  bring  himself  under  censure 
for  transferring  or  accepting  a  slave,  without  a  pecu- 
niary consideration;  although  by  the  minute  of  1758, 
the  sense  of  the  meeting  had  been  so  far  expressed, 
as  to  declare  that  the  slaveholder  was  not  to  be  em- 
ployed in  the  affairs  of  the  Society. 

Friends  in  various  quarters  were  now  no  longer 
satisfied  with  this  qualified  disunity,  and  in  1774,  re- 
quests were  sent  up  from  Philadelphia  and  Bucks  quar- 
terly meetings,  soliciting  a  revision  and  explanation 
of  the  minute  of  1758.  In  the  Yearly  Meeting  itself, 
a  concern  appeared  for  the  further  promotion  of  our 
testimony  against  the  iniquitous  practice  of  depriving 
our  fellow  men  of  their  natural  right  to  liberty,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  following  minutes. 

"  A  committee  of  thirty-four  Friends  was  appointed 
to  take  this  weighty  subject  under  their  consideration? 
and  make  report  to  a  future  sitting,  of  their  sense  and 
judgment  of  what  additions  or  amendments  are  sea- 
sonable and  necessary,  at  this  time,  to  be  made  to  the 
rule  of  discipline  before  mentioned ;  and  any  Friends 
w^ho  find  a  concern  on  their  minds  to  deliver  their 
sentiments  to  the  said  committee,  have  the  consent  of 
this  meeting  for  so  doing. 

"  Tenth  month,  1st.    The  report  of  the  committee 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


25 


relating  to  our  testimony  against  importing,  buying, 
selling  or  keeping  slaves,  being  now  deliberately  read 
and  attentively  considered ;  a  calming,  uniting  spirit 
presiding,  it  is  agreed  to;  and'  the  quarterly  and 
monthly  meetings  are  earnestly  recommended  and 
enjoined  to  give  due  attention  to  the  same,  as  the 
present  sense  and  judgment  of  this  meeting,  being  as 
follov^s,  viz. : 

"  Agreeable  to  appointment,  we  have  weightily  con- 
sidered the  sorrowful  subject  committed  to  us;  and 
many  brethren  having  had  an  opportunity  of  freely 
communicating  their  sentiments  thereon;  after  a  solid 
conference,  we  find  there  is  a  painful  exercise  attend- 
ing the  minds  of  Friends,  and  a  general  concern  pre- 
vaihng,  that  our  Christian  testimony  may  be  more 
extensively  held  forth,  against  the  unrighteous  practice 
of  enslaving  our  fellow  creatures,  to  promote  which, 
it  is  our  sense  and  judgment, — 

"  That  such  professors  among  us  who  are,  or  shall 
be  concerned  in  importing,  selling  or  purchasing ;  or 
that  shall  give  away  or  transfer  any  negro  or  other 
slave,  with  or  without  any  other  consideration  than  to 
clear  their  estate  of  any  future  incumbrance,  or  in  such 
manner  as  that  their  bondage  is  continued  beyond  the 
time  limited  by  law  or  custom  for  white  persons;  and 
such  member  who  accepts  of  such  gift  or  assignment, 
ought  to  be  speedily  treated  with,  in  the  spirit  of  true 
love  and  wisdom,  and  the  iniquity  of  their  conduct  laid 
before  them.  And  if  after  this  Christian  labour,  they 
cannot  be  brought  to  such  a  sense  of  tlieir  injustice,  as 
to  do  every  thing  which  the  monthly  meeting  shall 
judge  to  be  reasonable  and  necessary  for  the  restoring 
such  slave  to  liis  or  her  natural  and  just  right  to  liberty, 

3 


SLAVEKY  AND 


and  condemn  their  deviation  from  the  law  of  ridit- 
eousness  and  equity,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  said 
meeting,  that  such  member  be  testified  against,  as 
other  transgressors  are,  by  the  rules  of  our  discipline, 
for  other  immoral,  unjust,  and  reproachful  conduct. 

"  And  having  deliberately  weighed  and  considered 
that  many  slaves  are  possessed  and  detained  in  bon- 
dage by  divers  members  of  our  religious  Society, 
towards  whom  labour  has  been  extended  ;  but  being 
apprehensive  that  a  Christian  duty  has  not  been  so 
fully  discharged  to  them  as  their  various  circumstan- 
ces appear  to  require : 

*'  We  think  it  expedient  that  the  quarterly  meetings 
should  be  earnestly  advised  and  enjoined,  to  unite  with 
their  respective  monthly  meetings,  in  a  speedy  and 
close  labour  with  such  members ;  and  where  it  shall 
appear  that  any,  from  views  of  temporal  gain,  cannot 
be  prevailed  with  to  release  from  captivity  such  slaves 
as  shall  be  found  suitable  for  liberty,  but  detain  them 
in  bondage,  without  such  reasons  as  shall  be  sufficient 
and  satisfactory ;  the  cases  of  such  should  be  brought 
forward  to  the  next  Yearly  Meeting  for  consideration, 
and  such  further  directions  as  may  be  judged  expe- 
dient. And  in  the  mean  time,  we  think  those  persons 
ought  not  to  be  employed  in  the  service  of  Truth. 

"  And  having  grounds  to  conclude  that  there  are 
some  brethren  who  have  these  poor  captives  under 
their  care,  and  are  desirous  to  be  wisely  directed  in  the 
restoring  them  to  liberty ;  Friends  who  may  be  ap- 
pointed by  quarterly  and  monthly  meetings  on  the 
service  now  proposed,  are  earnestly  desired  to  give 
their  weighty  and  solid  attention  for  the  assistance  of 
such  who  are  thus  honestly  and  religiously  concerned 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


for  their  own  relief,  and  the  essential  benefit  of  the 
negro.  And  in  such  families  where  there  are  young 
ones,  or  others  of  suitable  age,  that  they  excite  the 
masters,  or  those  who  have  them,  to  give  them  suffi- 
cient mstruction  and  learning,  in  order  to  qualify  them 
for  the  enjoyment  of  the  liberty  intended,  and  that 
they  be  instructed  by  tliemselves,  or  placed  out  to 
such  masters  and  mistresses  who  will  be  careful  of 
their  religious  education,  to  serve  for  such  time,  and 
no  longer,  as  is  prescribed  by  law  and  custom,  for 
white  people. 

"  And  understanding  that  some  members  of  our 
religious  Society  through  inattention,  and  others  from 
different  motives,  have  been  induced  to  be  concerned 
in  hiring  slaves  on  wages  ;  such  should  be  incited  to 
consider,  that  this  practice  manifestly  contributes  to 
promote  the  unrighteous  traffic  we  are  desirous  to 
suppress ;  and  therefore  they  should  be  advised  and 
admonished  against  being  tlius  accessory  to  promot- 
ing it. 

"  Also  that  all  Friends  be  cautioned  and  advised 
against  acting  as  executors  or  administrators  to  such 
estates  where  slaves  are  bequeathed,  or  likely  to  be 
detained  in  bondage. 

"And  we  are  of  the  mind,  that  where  anv  member 
has  been  heretofore  so  far  excluded  from  religious 
fellowship,  as  the  minute  of  this  meeting,  in  the  year 
1758,  gives  authority  ;  nevertheless,  in  case  of  further 
disorderly  conduct,  that  they  be  treated  with  agree- 
able to  our  discipline." 

In  the  following  3'ear,  (1775,)  the  increasing  con- 
cern of  the  meeting  displayed  itself  in  the  following 
minute. 


2S 


SLAVERY  AND 


"  On  considering  the  progress  made  by  the  quarterly 
and  monthly  meetings,  in  promoting  our  testimony 
against  keeping  of  slaves  in  bondage;  it  is  satisfactory 
to  observe,  that  by  the  labour  therein  since  last  year,  a 
considerable  number  has  been  restored  to  liberty,  and 
that  Friends  manifest  a  concern  for  further  proceeding 
in  this  weighty  service.  This  meeting,  impressed  with 
an  earnest  desire  that  it  may  be  completed,  and  the 
church  relieved  from  the  grievous  burthen  under  which 
we  have  long  laboured,  again  recommends,  that  the 
united  care  and  endeavours  of  Friends  may  be  con- 
tinued for  perfecting  it,  agreeable  to  our  solid  sense 
and  judgment,  given  and  enjoined  on  the  quarterly 
and  monthly  meetings  concerning  it  last  year. 

"  And  where  any  members  manifest  such  a  disre- 
gard to  common  justice,  as  to  oppose  and  reject  this 
Christian  labour  of  their  brethren,  and  Friends  appre- 
hend they  have  fully  discharged  their  duty  to  them, 
that  the  particular  circumstance  of  such  cases  be 
brought  to  this  meeting,  pursuant  to  the  directions 
given  in  our  minute  of  last  year ;  as  likewise  such 
other  cases  which  may  be  attended  with  so  great  dif- 
ficulty, as  to  require  the  further  advice  and  judgment 
of  the  body  thereon. 

"  And  in  order  further  to  manifest  our  Christian 
care  and  regard  to  such  of  those  poor  people  who 
have  been  restored  to  freedom,  it  is  desired  that  a 
benevolent  care  may  be  exercised  by  Friends  in  their 
respective  places,  to  assist  and  advise  them,  as  their 
circumstances  and  stations  in  life  may  require,  both 
for  their  spiritual  and  temporal  good." 

When  the  usual  reports  from  the  quarterly  meetings 
were  read  in  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  1776,  a  committee 


THE  SLAVE  TBADE. 


29 


was  appointed  to  revise  the  accounts,  and  report  to 
the  meeting,  "  the  most  effectual  rehgious  means  for 
perfecting  a  work  which  has  long  been  the  occasion 
of  heavy  labour  to  the  faithful  members  of  the  church, 
and  excited  our  desire  to  be  fully  clear  of  a  practice 
so  directly  opposed  to  the  law  of  righteousness."  The 
committee  made  the  following  report,  which  was  ap- 
proved and  confirmed  by  the  meeting. 

"  We,  the  committee  appointed  to  take  under  our 
consideration  the  deeply  affecting  case  of  om'  oppress- 
ed fellow  men  of  the  African  race  and  others,  as  also 
the  state  of  those  who  hold  them  in  bondage,  have 
several  times  met,  and  heard  the  concm'ring  sentiments 
of  divers  other  Friends,  and  examined  the  reports 
from  the  quarterly  meetings,  by  which  it  appears,  that 
much  labour  and  care  have  been  extended  since  the 
last  year,  for  the  convincement  of  such  of  our  mem- 
bers who  had,  or  yet  have  them  in  possession ;  many 
of  whom  have  of  late,  from  under  hand  and  seal,  pro- 
perly discharged  such  as  were  in  their  possession, 
from  a  state  of  slavery. 

"  Yet  sorrowful  it  is,  that  many  there  are  in  mem- 
bership with  us,  w  ho  notwithstanding  the  labour  be- 
stowed, still  continue  to  hold  these  people  as  slaves  ; 
under  the  consideration  whereof,  we  are  deeply  affect- 
ed, and  united  in  judgment,  that  we  are  loudly  called 
upon  to  a  faithful  obedience  to  the  injunction  of  our 
blessed  Lord,  *  To  do  to  all  men  as  we  would  they 
should  do  unto  us and  to  bear  a  full  and  clear  testi- 
mony to  these  truths,  that  *God  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons,' and  that  '  Christ  died  for  all  men  without  dis- 
tinction.' Which  we  earnestly  and  afiectionately 
intreat  may  be  duly  considered  in  this  awful  and 

3^ 


30 


SLAVERY  AND 


alarming  dispensation,  and  excite  to  impartial  justice 
and  judgment  to  black  and  white,  rich  and  poor. 

"  Under  the  calming  influences  of  pure  love,  we  do 
"with  great  unanimity,  give  it  as  our  sense  and  judg- 
ment, that  quarterly  and  monthly  meetings  should 
speedily  unite  in  a  further  close  labour  with  all  such 
as  are  slaveholders,  and  have  any  right  of  member- 
ship with  us.  And  where  any  members  continue  to 
reject  the  advice  of  their  brethren,  and  refuse  to  exe- 
cute proper  instruments  of  writing,  for  releasing  from 
a  state  of  slavery,  such  as  are  in  their  power,  or  to 
"whom  they  have  any  claim,  whether  arrived  to  full  age 
or  in  their  minority,  and  no  hopes  of  the  continuance 
of  Friends' labour  being  profitable  to  them,  that  month- 
ly meetings  after  having  discharged  a  Christian  duty 
to  such,  should  testify  their  disunion  with  them. 

"  And  it  appearing  from  the  reports  of  the  several 
quarters,  that  there  are  many  difficult  and  comphcat- 
ed  cases,  which  relate  to  those  oppressed  and  much 
injured  people,  requiring  great  circumspection  and 
close  attention,  in  order  that  our  religious  testimony 
may  be  promoted,  and  that  the  cause  of  Truth  may 
not  suffer  by  unprofitable  delays,  we  apprehend  all 
such  cases  might  well  be  submitted  to  the  quarterly 
meetings  where  they  subsist,  whose  advice  and  judg- 
ment should  be  observed  and  regarded ;  so  that  any 
member  who  refuses  or  declines  complying  therewith, 
after  being  laboured  with  in  the  spirit  of  love  and 
wisdom,  should  be  testified  against." 

At  this  Yearly  Meeting  the  following  query  was 
adopted  in  place  of  the  one  on  the  same  subject,  which 
had  been  directed  in  1775.  "Are  Friends  clear  of 
importing,  purchasing,  disposing  of,  or  holding  man- 


THE  SLAVE  TEADE. 


31 


kind  as  slaves'?  And  do  they  use  those  well,  who  are 
set  free,  and  necessarily  under  their  care,  and  not  in 
circumstances,  through  nonage  or  incapacity,  to  min- 
ister to  their  own  necessities  ?  And  are  they  careful 
to  educate  and  encourage  them  in  a  religious  and 
virtuous  life  V' 

The  subordinate  meetings  upon  the  receipt  of  the 
foregoing  minute,  appointed  committees  to  carry  out 
the  views  of  the  Yearly  Meeting.  It  is  apparent  from 
the  tenor  of  their  proceedings,  that  the  principal  por- 
tion of  the  labour  had  afready  been  accomplished, 
and  that  the  greater  part  of  the  slaves  owned  by  our 
members  had  been  set  free. 

The  following  extracts  will  fully  justify  this  remark. 
In  1776,  Philadelphia  Monthly  Meeting  replies  to  the 
query,  "  that  a  considerable  number  of  the  slaves  here- 
tofore belonging  to  members  of  this  meeting  have  been 
set  at  liberty."  A  committee  of  that  monthly  meeting 
had  been  labouring  since  1774,  with  those  who  held 
slaves,  and  in  1777,  report  is  made  that  a  few  continue 
to  hold  negroes  in  slavery.  The  minutes  of  that  meet- 
ing, from  the  year  1756  to  the  year  1783,  exhibit  an 
unremitted  attention  to  this  subject,  in  labouring  first 
with  those  who  bought  and  sold,  and  next  with  those 
who  kept,  slaves.  In  1778,  seven  members  were  dis- 
owned for  the  latter  oflence,  and  one  in  the  following 
year.  A  much  greater  nimiber  emancipated  their 
slaves,  so  that  in  1781  there  was  but  one  case  under 
care ;  and  in  1783,  the  meeting  reported  that  there 
were  no  slaves  owned  by  its  members. 

In  the  Fourth  month,  1777,  Haddonfield  Quarterly 
Meeting  appointed  "a  committee  to  procure  manumis- 
sion papers,  and  assist  the  members  of  the  monthly 


32 


SLAVERY  AND 


meetings  to  manumit  their  slaves ;  and  also  to  see 
to  the  education  of  coloured  children."  This  com- 
mittee continued  under  appointment  for  two  years, 
and  in  the  Ninth  month,  1779,  reported  that  they 
had  fully  complied  with  their  appointment  in  ob- 
taining manumissions.  The  names  of  the  few  who 
continued  to  hold  slaves  were  reported,  and  directed 
to  be  transmitted  to  the  monthly  meetings,  for  them 
to  enforce  the  discipline.  In  1781,  the  quarterly  meet- 
ing say^s :  "  It  appears  there  has  been  a  general  re- 
leasement  from  bondage  of  the  Africans  among  us, 
except  in  a  few  instances,  where  the  women  only  are 
in  membership." 

Chester  Quarterly  Meeting,  Eighth  month,  1777, 
says,  "  the  committee  in  the  case  of  slaves  reported  to 
this  meeting  in  writing,  as  follows,  viz. :  *  We  the  com- 
mittee appointed  to  visit  those  that  hold  slaves,  have 
attended  to  that  service ;  and  have  visited  all  that  had 
any  claim  over  such  within  the  verge  of  this  meeting, 
that  came  to  our  knowledge  ;  a  considerable  number 
of  which  have  been  manumitted  since  our  appoint- 
ment; but  there  are  some  members  in  several  monthly 
meetings  that  still  hold  them, notwithstanding  the  many 
and  repeated  visits  paid  them;  and  we,  as  a  committee, 
apprehend  we  have  discharged  our  duty  and  appoint- 
ment to  such,  and  desire  to  be  released ;  and  we  fur- 
ther think  that  the  several  cases  may  be  safely  recom- 
mended to  the  monthly  meetings." 

Burlington  Quarterly  Meeting  of  the  same  date, 
(Eighth  mo.,  1777,)  states  that  "Burhngton  Monthly 
Meeting  further  mentioned,  that  most  of  those  who 
were  in  a  state  of  slavery  among  them,  have  been 
manumitted  since  last  year;  and  that  in  regard  to  those 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


33 


remaining,  viz.  three  of  age,  and  five  minors,  there  is 
reason  to  hope  a  Httle  longer  continuance  of  labour 
and  patience,  will  have  a  good  effect."  Chesterfield 
adds  to  a  report  of  a  committee  of  that  meeting  on 
the  subject  of  slaves,  containing  in  substance,  that  they 
have  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  the  hearts  of  divers 
Friends  tender  towards  that  poor,  oppressed  people, 
so  that  many  have  been  manumitted  ;  and  yet  a  con- 
siderable number  are  continued  .in  bondage;  and 
though  some  members  do  not  appear  in  a  disposition 
to  comply  with  the  desire  of  Friends,  yet  ha\ang  a 
tenderness  towards  them,  they  have  a  desire  that  their 
cases  may  be  continued  under  care  a  fiurther  time. 

Reports  of  the  progress  made  in  emancipation,  ap- 
pear on  minute  from  time  to  time,  and  in  the  Eighth 
month,  1781,  "Burlington  adds  to  their  report  from 
their  committee  for  the  manumission  of  negroes,  that 
they  had  attended  to  the  service  since  last  year,  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  crettinsj  clear  of  all  the  cases  of 
this  kind  then  known  ;  but  that  three  young  negroes 
in  a  state  of  bondage  had  lately  been  discovered  in 
one  family,  which  had  been  and  remain  under  their 
care.  From  the  answers  to  the  queries  it  appears  that 
all  the  other  monthly  meetings  are  clear  of  slaves,  ex- 
cept some  remaining  within  the  compass  of  Chester- 
field and  verge  of  one  particular  meeting." 

At  the  same  date,  (Eighth  mo.  1777,)  the  Western 
Quarter,  which  had  been  set  oflT  in  1758,  from  the 
south-western  end  of  Chester,  and  which  stretched  far 
into  Maryland,  answers  the  query  respecting  slavery, 
in  the  following  manner :  "  Clear  of  importing  and 
disposing  of  mankind  as  slaves,  also  of  purchasing,  in 
all  our  meetings,  except  one,  from  which  a  doubt  is 


34 


SLAVERY  AND 


hinted  in  one  case.  Some  within  the  compass  of  the 
meeting  yet  continue  to  hold  slaves ;  though  many- 
have  been  manumitted  since  last  year.  The  case  of 
those  who  hold  them  is  weightily  under  care  ;  and  a 
growing  concern  appears  amongst  us,  that  we  may 
more  fully  attain  to  clearness  respecting  this  matter." 

The  following  report  appears  on  the  minutes  of 
Bucks  Quarterly  Meeting  of  the  same  date,  (Eighth 
mo.  1777.)  "We  o/the  committee  appointed  by  the 
quarterly  meeting  in  order  to  treat  with  our  members 
who  hold  their  fellow  men  in  bondage,  in  conjunction 
with  the  several  monthly  meeting  committees,  now 
report,  that  there  hath  been  a  considerable  time  spent 
in  labouring  with  them,  in  order  to  convince  them  of 
the  evil  of  the  practice,  which  labours  of  love  have  by 
some  been  kindly  received,  and  they  have  complied  so 
far  as  to  give  those  they  had  in  bondage  their  liberty, 
by  instruments  of  writing  given  under  their  hands  and 
seals  ;  but  there  are  others  who  still  persist  in  holding 
them  as  slaves,  notwithstanding  the  repeated  care  and 
laboiu'  of  Friends  extended  towards  them." 

Upon  turning  to  the  minutes  of  the  monthly  meet- 
ings composing  Bucks  Quarter,  it  appears  that  at  this 
time  there  were  no  slaves  held  in  Buckingham  or  in 
Wriglitstown  monthly  meetings  ;  that  in  Middletown 
four  members  persisted  in  holding  slaves,  three  of 
whom  w^ere  afterwards  disowned  for  that  offence; 
and  that  in  the  Falls  Monthly  Meeting,  although  many 
had  been  set  free,  others  were  still  detained  in  bondage. 
These  were  subsequently  emancipated ;  and  it  does 
not  appear  that  more  than  one  member  was  disowned 
by  that  meeting,  for  refusing  to  comply  with  the  dis- 
phne  in  this  particular. 


THE  SLAVE  THADE. 


At  the  monthly  meetings  of  Salem,  held  in  the 
Eighth  and  Eleventh  months,  1777,  the  committee 
reported  two  cases  of  slaves,  whose  owners  were  not 
wSling  to  set  them  free  ;  and  that  two  girls  had  been 
sold  for  such  a  number  of  years,  and  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, as  to  render  their  cases  little  better  than 
slaves.  The  individual  who  had  made  this  sale  was 
brought  to  see  its  iniquity,  and  in  the  First  month  fol- 
lowing, a  report  was  made  that  one  of  them  was  re- 
leased; but  it  does  not  appear  that  Friends  were  able  to 
procure  the  discharge  of  the  other  from  her  purchaser. 

The  success  of  these  labours  is  noticed  in  the  min- 
utes of  the  Yearly  Meetings  of  1779,  1780  and  1781  ; 
and  as  the  minute  of  1781  is  the  last  on  record  upon 
this  subject,  which  speaks  of  slaves  being  still  ow^ned 
by  our  members,  it  is  probable  that  before  the  suc- 
ceeding Yearly  Meeting  they  had  all  been  freed. 

As  the  Society  dwelt  under  the  religious  exercise 
which  had  been  brought  over  it  by  the  participation  of 
its  members  in  this  grievous  sin,  a  concern  spread  for 
making  reparation  to  the  slaves  themselves  for  their 
labour  ;*  and  for  promoting  the  rehgious  welfare  of 

*  As  a  specimen  of  the  religious  care  of  Friends  in  this  particular, 
we  select  the  following  case. 

A  Friend  became  uneasy  respecting  the  situation  of  a  coloured  man 
who  had  been  set  free  by  his  father  some  years  before,  but  had  received 
no  compensation  for  the  time  he  served  after  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age ;  and  he  mentioned  the  subject  to  the  monthly  meeting  of 
Friends  of  Nevt'  Garden,  Pennsylvania,  of  which  he  was  a  member.  At 
this  meeting,  held  the  7th  of  Eleventh  month,  1778,  five  Friends  were 
appointed  to  advise  and  assist  in  the  case  ;  and  in  the  Third  month  fol- 
lowing, they  made  a  report,  which  was  satisfactory  to  the  meeting,  and 
for  aught  that  appears,  to  the  parties  also.  The  report  is  in  substance 
ae  follows,  viz. 


86 


SLAVERY  AND 


them  and  their  descendants.  In  reference  to  these 
subjects,  the  following  report  of  a  committee  was 

"  Agreeably  to  our  appointment,  we  have  several  times  met  and  con- 
sidered tlie  case  committed  to  us,  respecting  the  uneasiness  mentioned 
by  T.  W.,  concerning  the  negro  formerly  possessed  by  his  father,  and 
having  carefully  inquired  into  the  circumstances,  do  find  that  W.  W., 
about  16  years  ago,  set  free  from  a  state  of  slavery  the  said  negro  named 
Caesar,  on  condition  that  he  would  behave  himself  justly  and  honestly, 
and  also  that  he  would  lay  up,  or  deposit  in  his,  or  some  other  safe  hand, 
the  sum  of  three  pounds  yearly,  that  in  case  he  sliould  be  sick  or  lame, 
he  might  not  be  chargeable  to  his  said  master's  estate.  In  consequence 
of  the  said  condition  the  said  Caesar  had  laid  up  forty-two  pounds,  which 
appears  to  us  to  be  his  just  property,  and  all  the  heirs  of  W.  W.  who 
are  arrived  at  full  age,  (except  one,  who  resides  in  Virginia,)  cheerfully 
agree  to  let  him  have  it.  But  as  the  said  Ccesar  informs  us  that  he  has 
no  present  use  or  necessity  for  the  said  money,  he  agreed  to  have  it  de- 
posited in  the  hands  of  J.  P.,  and  proposed  to  advise  with  him,  when  any 
occasion  occurred  for  applying  it;  with  which  we  were  well  satisfied. 

"  It  also  further  appears  that  said  Caesar  served  his  said  master  in  the 
capacity  of  a  slave,  something  more  than  ten  years  after  he  Wiis  twenty- 
one  years  of  age ;  and  upon  careful  inquiry,  we  find  he  was  tenderly 
used  during  said  time,  and  nursed  in  the  small  pox,  which  he  had  very 
heavily,  and  it  was  long  before  he  recovered  ;  so  that  we  have  reason  to 
believe  it  took  at  least  one  year  to  defray  the  expense  thereof.  These 
things,  the  said  Caesar  fully  acknowledges  ;  and  further  informs  that  his 
said  master  allowed  him  sundry  privileges  during  said  term,  whereby 
he  made  for  himself  at  least  five  pounds  a  year,  beside  being  well  clotlied 
and  accommodated. 

"  After  considering  all  the  circumstances  of  his  case,  we  are  unan- 
imously of  the  mind,  that  the  further  sum  ef  five  pounds  a  year,  for  the 
nine  years  he  was  in  usual  health,  ought  to  be  allowed  him  out  of  the 
said  estate,  which  the  heirs  now  present  and  of  age,  also  agree  to;  and 
it  is  agreed  with  the  said  Ctesar's  free  consent,  to  be  deposited  with  the 
other  sum. 

"And  as  the  instrument  of  writing  by  which  the  said  VV.  W.  dcclar-  . 
ed  the  said  CoBsar  free,  is  conditional,  and  we  apprehend  not  sufficient 
to  secure  his  freedom,  the  heirs  aforesaid  have  executed  a  manumission 
suited  to  the  occasion. 

"  Third  month  6th,  1779." 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


37 


adopted,  and  sent  down  to  the  subordinate  meetings 
by  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  1779. 

"  A  committee  being  appointed  to  review  the  seve- 
ral accounts  now  sent,  of  the  labour  which  hath  been 
extended  to  fulfil  the  advice  given  last  year,  for  pro- 
motinor  the  relis^ious  instruction  of  those  neo^roes  who 
have  been  set  free,  and  their  offspring,  and  for  assist- 
ing and  advising  them  in  their  temporal  concerns  ;  and 
if  any  further  matter  occurred  to  them  to  be  necessary 
to  animate  Friends  to  a  continuance  of  care  in  this 
weighty  affair,  to  propose  it,  in  order  that  our  religious 
duty  to  that  long  oppressed  people  may  be  fully  dis- 
charged, made  a  report  in  writing,  which  being  seve- 
ral times  read  and  duly  considered,  is  unitedly  approved, 
and  recommended  to  the  care  of  quarterly,  monthly 
and  preparative  meetings,  in  order  that  Friends  may 
be  conscientiously  concerned  to  discharge  their 
Christian  duty  in  the  weighty  matters  recommended ; 
and  to  send  an  account  to  the  meeting  next  year,  how 
this  pious  work  goes  forward.  The  report  being  in 
substance  nearly  as  follows. 

"  Agreeable  to  our  appointment,  we  have  delibe- 
rately considered  the  reports  brought  up  from  the  sev- 
eral quarters,  and  find  that  an  increasing  concern  for 
the  real  good  of  these  people,  appears  to  take  place, 
there  being  but  a  small  number  detained  in  bondage 
within  the  compass  of  our  Yearly  Meeting.  Under  a 
thankful  sense  of  Divine  favour  in  opening  the  hearts 
of  many,  and  making  way  for  the  deliverance  of  these 
poor  captives,  we  feel  a  tenderness  for  those  who  are 
continued  by  any  among  us  in  bondage,  and  are 
renewedly  confirmed  in  judgment,  that  w^here  fervent, 
close  labour  remains  to  be  ineffectual,  our  testimony 

4 


38 


SLAVERY  AND 


for  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness  should  be  held 
up  by  monthly  meetings,  and  they  proceed  to  clear 
themselves  of  this  iniquitous  practice. 

"  We  are  united  in  judgment,  that  the  state  of  the 
oppressed  people  who  have  been  held  by  any  of  us,  or 
our  predecessors,  in  captivity  and  slavery,  calls  for  a 
deep  inquiry  and  close  examination,  how  far  we  are 
clear  of  withholding  from  them,  what  under  such  an 
exercise  may  open  to  view  as  their  just  right,  and 
therefore  w^e  earnestly  and  affectionately  intreat  our 
brethren  in  religious  profession  to  bring  this  matter 
home,  and  that  all  who  have  let  the  oppressed  go  free, 
may  attend  to  the  further  openings  of  duty. 

"  A  tender  Christian  sympathy  appears  to  be  awak- 
ened in  the  minds  of  many  who  are  not  in  religious 
profession  with  us,  who  have  seriously  considered  the 
oppressions  and  disadvantages  under  which  those  peo- 
ple have  long  laboured ;  and  whether  a  pious  care 
extended  to  their  offspring  is  not  justly  due  from  us  to 
them,  is  a  consideration  worthy  our  serious  and  deep 
attention ;  or  if  this  obligation  did  not  weightily  lay 
upon  us,  can  benevolent  minds  be  directed  to  any 
object  more  worthy  of  their  liberality  and  encourage- 
ment, than  that  of  laying  a  foundation  in  the  rising 
generation  for  their  becoming  good  and  useful  men  ? 
remembering  what  was  formerly  enjoined,  *  If  thy 
brother  be  waxen  poor,  and  fallen  in  decay  with  thee, 
then  thou  shalt  relieve  him ;  yea,  though  he  be  a 
stranger,  or  a  sojourner ;  that  he  may  live  with  thee.* 
Lev.  XXV.  35. 

"  Under  a  fervent  concern  that  our  Christian  testi- 
mony respecting  this  exercising  subject  may  spread, 
and  fasten  on  the  minds  of  Friends  generally,  we  ear- 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


nestly  recommend  a  close  attention  to  former  advices, 
and  particularly  that  of  last  year  ;  and  that  quarterly 
and  monthly  meetings  may  be  encouraged  to  a  con- 
tinued care  for  the  instruction  of  these  people  in 
schools,  and  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian  rehgion." 

These  meetings  were  not  slack  in  performing  the 
duties  to  which  they  were  thus  called.  In  all  of  them, 
as  far  as  appears,  committees  were  appointed,  and 
funds  provided  to  assist  the  free  people  of  colour  with 
their  advice,  and  to  secure  the  education  and  reli- 
gious instruction  of  their  children.  Religious  meetings 
were  frequently  appointed  for  them,  and  are  reported 
to  have  been  held  to  good  satisfaction  ;  and  these  la- 
bours are  continued  to  be  noticed  on  minute  for  many 
years  subsequent  to  this  period. 

In  the  Eighth  month,  1779,  a <:ommittee  of  Chester 
Quarterly  Meeting  report  "  that  considerable  progress 
has  been  made  in  assisting  and  advising  such  negroes 
as  have  been  restored  to  freedom ;  and  are  continued 
to  give  them  their  advice  on  all  occasions,  particularly 
to  instruct  them  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian  reli- 
gion, and  the  pious  education  of  their  children,"  &c. 

In  the  Second  month,  1789,  the  same  meeting  says, 
"the  consideration  of  the  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare 
of  the  Africans,  and  the  necessary  instruction  of  their 
offspring  being  now  resumed,  and  after  some  time  spent 
thereon,  it  is  closely  recommended  to  our  several 
monthly  meetings  to  pay  due  attention  to  the  advice 
of  the  Yearly  Meeting  on  this  subject,  and  proceed  as 
strength  may  be  afforded,  in  looking  after  them  in 
their  several  habitations  by  a  rehgious  visit ;  giving 
them  such  counsel  as  their  situation  may  require,"  &c. 

In  the  Eighth  month,  1798,  the  monthly  meeting  of 


40 


SLAVERY  AND 


Concord,  (a  branch  of  Chester,  now  Concord  Quar- 
terly Meeting,)  reported  that  a  visit  had  been  paid  to 
nearly  all  the  families  of  the  black  people,  as  well 
as  to  some  single  persons  of  the  same  colour  residing 
within  the  limits  of  their  meeting,  by  a  committee,  to 
a  good  degree  of  satisfaction. 

The  minutes  of  Burlington  Quarterly  Meeting, 
exhibit  the  same  care  in  appointing  committees  and 
religious  meetings.  As  a  specimen  of  these  minutes; 
"  several  of  the  committee  appointed  to  attend  the 
meeting  at  Crosswicks  for  the  religious  benefit  of  the 
black  people,  report  their  attendance,  and  that  the 
meeting  was  large,  satisfactory  and  encouraging." 
The  same  minute  provides  for  the  appointing  of  other 
meetings  of  the  same  character.  In  the  Eighth  month, 
1785,  "  one  meeting  informs  that  two  Friends  having 
each  set  a  slave  at  liberty,  expressed  a  desire  to  make 
a  proper  allowance  for  the  time  they  were  continued 
in  their  service,  after  they  came  of  age ;  after  divers 
times  deliberating  thereon,  Friends  to  whose  care 
such  cases  had  been  referred,  advised  that  the  sums 
should  be  ascertained  by  indifferent  persons ;  and  one 
of  the  negroes  being  deceased,  the  sum  adjudged  due 
in  that  case,  should  be  divided  and  paid  to  the  next 
of  kin,  as  in  cases  of  intestates'  estates;  which  advice 
the  Friends  have  readily  accepted,  and  have  taken 
measures  to  carry  into  effect." 

"  In  liaddonfield  Quarterly  Meeting,  a  committee 
was  kept  steadily  under  appointment  for  several  years 
to  assist  in  manumissions,  and  in  the  education  of  the 
negro  children.  Religious  meetings  were  frequently 
held  for  the  people  of  colour;  and  Haddonfield  Monthly 


THE  SLAVB  TRADE. 


41 


Meeting  raised  on  one  occasion  £131,  for  the  educa- 
tion of  negro  children. 

In  Salem  Monthly  Meeting,  frequent  meetings  of 
worship  for  the  people  of  colour  were  held  by  direc- 
tion of  the  monthly  meeting ;  funds  were  raised  for 
the  education  of  their  children,  and  committees  ap- 
pointed in  the  different  meetings  to  provide  books, 
place  the  children  at  school,  to  visit  the  schools,  and 
inspect  their  conduct  and  improvement. 

Meetings  for  Divine  worship  were  regularly  held  for 
people  of  colour,  at  least  once  in  three  months,  under 
the  direction  of  the  monthly  meetings  of  Friends  in 
Philadelphia ;  and  schools  were  also  established  at 
which  their  children  were  gratuitously  instructed  in 
useful  learning.  One  of  these,  originally  instituted 
by  Anthony  Benezet,  is  now  in  operation  in  the  city 
of  Philadelphia,  and  has  been  continued  under  the 
care  of  one  of  the  monthly  meetings  of  Friends  of  that 
city,  and  supported  by  funds  derived  from  the  volun- 
tary contributions  of  the  members,  and  from  legacies 
and  bequests,  yielding  an  income  of  about  $1000  per 
annum.  The  average  number  of  pupils  is  about  sixty- 
eight  of  both  sexes. 

While  the  Society  was  thus  performing  its  duty  to 
the  free  people  of  colour,  within  its  own  limits,  a  con- 
cern began  to  spread  for  the  extinction  of  the  slave 
trade  and  slavery  itself ;  and  from  this  time  forward 
memorials  and  remonstrances  on  these  subjects  were 
repeatedly  laid  before  persons  in  power  and  the  public 
at  large.  The  first  notice  of  this  extended  concern 
which  occurs  on  the  records  of  the  Yearly  Meeting,  is 
contained  in  the  following  minutes  of  1785,  1786, 1787. 

"  Some  lively,  instructive  remarks  were  made,  on 
4* 


42 


SLAVERY  AND 


what  appears  further  becoming  a  right  concern  for 
promoting  justice  being  done  to  the  African  race,  as 
well  as  their  instruction  in  the  principles  of  Truth  ; 
and  faithfully  labouring  to  improve  every  opportunity 
for  urging  to  those  in  power,  the  moral  and  Christian 
necessity  of  suppressing  the  cruel  traffic  in  those  af- 
flicted people,  so  grossly  unchristian,  and  reproachful 
to  humanity." 

"  The  deeply  affecting  concern  on  account  of  the 
continued  traffic  in  some  parts  of  this  continent  in  the 
persons  of  our  fellow  men,  the  people  of  Africa,  afresh 
reviving,  and  the  minds  of  many  Friends  being  warm- 
ly animated  with  a  sense  of  its  interesting  import ;  it 
is  renewedly  and  with  m.uch  earnestness  recommend- 
ed to  the  diligent  attention  and  care  of  the  Meeting 
for  Sufferings,  that  no  proper  means  may  be  omitted, 
nor  any  opportunity  lost,  whereby  the  testimony  of 
Truth  in  this  matter  may  be  advanced,  and  the  cause 
of  mercy  and  equity  promoted  and  strengthened  in 
the  minds  of  men  generally." 

"  On  a  renewed  consideration  of  the  iniquity  of  the 
slave  trade,  it  is  afresh  recommended  to  the  watchful 
attention  of  our  Meeting  for  Sufierings  in  particular, 
and  to  Friends  individually,  that  no  opportunity  be  lost 
of  discouraging  the  unrighteous  business,  and  mani- 
festing to  the  world,  the  religious  ground  of  our  Chris- 
tian testimony  against  this  public  wickedness." 

The  history  of  the  abolition  of  slavery  within  the 
limits  of  New  England  Yearly  Meetings  is  marked 
with  the  same  features  of  cautious,  yet  steady  perse- 
verance, which  are  traceable  in  the  foregoing  narrative. 
In  its  earlier  stages,  it  follows,  at  an  interval  of  a  few 
years,  the  course  pursued  with  us  ;  while  the  holding 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


of  slaves  was  there  made  a  disownable  offence,  five  or 
six  years  before  it  was  so  regarded  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  earliest  notice  on  the  subject,  is  a  query  sent  in 
the  Second  month,  1716,  by  the  monthly  meeting  of 
Dartmouth  to  Rhode  Island  Quarterly  Meeting,  asking 
"whether  it  be  agreeable  to  Truth,  for  Friends  to  pur- 
chase slaves,  and  keep  them  term  of  life  ?"  This  was 
referred  for  consideration  to  the  different  monthly 
meetings  composing  that  quarterly  meeting.  Nantuck- 
et xMonthly  Meeting  promptly  decided  by  a  minute  of 
Ninth  month,  17 IG,  as  the  sense  and  judgment  of  that 
meeting,  "  that  it  was  not  agreeable  to  Truth  for 
Friends  to  purchase  slaves,  and  keep  them  term  of 
life ;"  Dartmouth,  "  that  the  buying  and  seUing  of 
slaves  is  inconsistent  with  Truth;"  some  others,  "that 
no  more  slaves  be  brought  from  foreign  parts,"  &c. 
The  subject  was  brought  by  Rhode  Island  Quarterly 
Meeting  before  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  1717,  which 
notices  "  that  a  weighty  concern  rested  on  the  minds 
of  Friends  on  account  of  importing  and  keeping  slaves," 
but  made  no  decisive  minute  on  the  subject. 
,  Although  it  is  evident  from  the  result,  that  the  con- 
cern on  this  subject  was  spreading  among  Friends, 
throughout  the  Yearly  Meeting,  no  fiulher  notice  of 
it  occurs  on  the  minutes  till  the  year  1760,  excepting  a 
short  minute  of  the  year  1727,  censuring  the  practice 
"  of  importing  negroes  from  their  native  country  and 
relations."  In  1760,  the  disciphne  was  revised,  and 
the  following  passage,  taken  from  the  printed  epistle 
of  the  London  Yearly  Meeting  of  1758,  was  incorpo- 
rated into  it.  "  We  fervently  warn  all  in  profession 
with  us,  that  they  carefully  avoid  being  any  way  con- 
cerned in  reaping  the  unrighteous  profits  of  that  iniqui- 


44 


SLAVERY  AND 


tous  practice  of  dealing  in  negroes  and  other  slaves ; 
whereby  in  the  original  purchase,  one  man  selleth 
another  as  he  does  the  beast  that  perishes,  without  any 
better  pretension  to  a  property  in  him  than  that  of 
superior  force,  in  direct  violation  of  the  gospel  rule, 
which  teaches  every  one  to  do  as  they  would  be  done 
by,  and  to  do  good  unto  all ;  being  the  reverse  of  that 
covetous  disposition,  which  furnishes  encouragement 
to  these  poor  ignorant  people  to  perpetuate  their  savage 
wars,  in  order  to  supply  the  demands  of  this  most  un- 
natural traffic,  whereby  great  numbers  of  mankind, 
free  by  nature,  are  subjected  to  inextricable  bondage; 
and  which  hath  often  been  observed  to  fill  their  pos- 
sessors with  haughtiness  and  tyranny,  luxury  and  bar- 
barity ;  corrupting  the  minds  and  debasing  the  morals 
of  their  children,  to  the  unspeakable  prejudice  of  reli- 
gion and  virtue,  and  the  exclusion  of  that  holy  spirit 
of  universal  love,  meekness  and  charity,  which  is  the 
unchangeable  nature,  and  the  glory  of  true  Christiani- 
ty. We,  therefore,  can  do  no  less  than  with  the 
greatest  earnestness  impress  it  upon  Friends  every 
where,  that  they  endeavour  to  keep  their  hands  clear.- 
of  this  unrighteous  gain  of  oppression." 

In  the  same  year  the  following  query  was  adopted. 
"  Are  Friends  clear  of  importing  negroes,  or  buying 
them  when  imported  ;  and  do  they  use  those  well, 
where  they  are  possessed  by  inheritance  or  other- 
wise ;  endeavouring  to  train  them  up  in  the  principles 
of  religion?' 

Nine  years  afterwards,  (1709,)  the  Friends  of 
Rhode  Island  Quarterly  Meeting,  being  uneasy  with 
this  query,  which  allowed  of  the  holding  of  slaves, 
called  the  attention  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  to  the  sub- 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


45 


ject.  The  application  was  referred  to  a  committee, 
who  reported,  "  that  having  met,  and  entered  into  a 
solemn  consideration  of  the  subject,  they  were  of  the 
mind  that  a  useful  alteration  might  be  made  in  the 
query  referred  to ;  yet  apprehending  some  further 
Christian  endeavours  in  labouring  with  such  who  con- 
tinue in  possession  of  slaves  should  be  first  promoted, 
by  which  means  the  eyes  of  Friends  may  be  more 
clearly  opened  to  behold  the  iniquity  of  the  practice  of 
detaining  our  fellow  creatures  in  bondage,  and  a  dis- 
position to  set  such  free  who  are  arrived  to  mature 
age  ;  and  when  the  labour  is  performed  and  report 
made  to  the  meeting,  the  meeting  may  be  better  capa- 
ble of  determining  what  further  step  to  take  in  this 
affair,  which  hath  given  so  much  concern  to  faithful 
Friends  ;  and  that  in  the  mean  time  it  should  be  en- 
forced upon  Friends  that  have  them  in  possession,  to 
treat  them  with  tenderness  ;  impress  God's  fear  on 
their  minds ;  promote  their  attending  places  of  reli- 
gious worship  ;  and  give  such  as  are  young,  so  much 
learning,  that  they  may  be  capable  of  reading."  This 
report  was  adopted  by  the  meeting,  and  a  large  com- 
mittee appointed  to  visit  such  Friends  throughout  the 
Yearly  Meeting,  as  are  concerned  in  keeping  slaves, 
and  endeavour  to  persuade  them  from  the  practice. 

The  next  year  (1770,)  the  following  query  was 
incorporated  into  the  disciphne,  "Are  Friends  clear  of 
importing,  buying,  or  any  ways  disposing  of  negroes 
or  slaves;  and  do  they  use  those  well  who  are  under 
their  care,  and  not  in  circumstances,  through  nonage 
or  incapacity,  to  be  set  at  liberty?  And  do  they  give 
those  that  are  young  such  an  education  as  becomes 
Christians;  and  arc  the  others  encouraged  in  a  religious 


46 


SLAVERY  AND 


and  virtuous  life?  And  are  all  set  at  liberty  that  are  of 
age,  capacity,  and  ability  suitable  for  freedom?"  The 
subordinate  meetings  were  directed  by  minute  to  take 
due  care  that  this  query  be  complied  w^ith. 

The  next  year  the  committee  of  1 769,  reported  that 
they  had  completed  their  service,  "  and  that  their 
visits  mostly  seemed  to  be  kindly  accepted.  Some 
Friends  manifested  a  disposition  to  set  such  at  liberty 
as  were  suitable ;  some  others  not  having  so  clear  a 
sight  of  such  an  unreasonable  servitude  as  could  be 
desired,  were  unwilling  to  comply  with  the  advice 
given  them  at  present,  yet  seemed  willing  to  take  it 
into  consideration ;  a  few  others  manifested  a  dispo- 
sition to  keep  them  in  continued  bondage." 

It  is  stated  in  the  epistle  to  London  Yearly  Meeting 
of  the  year  1772,  that  a  few  Friends  had  freed  their 
slaves  from  bondage,  but  that  others  "  have  been  so 
reluctant  thereto  that  they  have  been  disowned  for  not 
complying  with  the  advice  of  this  meeting." 

In  1773,  the  following  minute  was  made.  "It  is 
our  sense  and  judgment,  that  Truth  not  only  requires 
the  young  of  capacity  and  ability,  but  likewise  the 
aged  and  impotent,  and  also  ail  in  a  state  of  infancy 
and  nonage  among  Friends  to  be  discharged  and  set 
free  from  a  state  of  slavery,  that  we  do  no  more  claim 
property  in  the  human  race,  as  we  do  in  the  brutes 
that  perish." 

It  appears  by  the-  epistles  that  the  subject  was 
weightily  before  the  Yearly  Meeting  in  1774, 1775  and 
1776;  and  in  1777  a  committee  was  appointed  to  aid 
subordinate  meetings  in  labouring  with  individuals 
for  effecting  the  discharge  of  all  who  were  held  in 
bondage.  This  committee  reported  the  next  year  that 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


47 


most  of  the  slaves  were  manumitted  in  the  presence  of 
the  committee  ;  and  that  encouragement  was  given  to 
hope  that  all  would  be  set  at  liberty.  In  1782,  the 
Yearly  Meeting  states,  "  we  know  not  but  all  the 
members  of  this  meeting  are  clear  of  that  iniquitous 
practice  of  holding  or  deahng  with  mankind  as  slaves." 

The  object  for  which  Friends  had  so  long  and  pa- 
tiently laboiu'ed,  being  thus  attained,  a  concern  was 
introduced  into  the  Yearly  Meeting  in  1783,  for  a 
proper  and  equitable  settlement  for  thei?^  past  services, 
between  olu'  members  who  had  owned  and  manumit- 
ted slaves,  and  those  so  manumitted  ;  and  it  was  re- 
commended to  the  quarterly  meetings  to  appoint 
committees  to  labour  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
object ;  "  and  also  to  encourage  those  who  have  been 
held  as  slaves  in  a  religious  and  virtuous  life." 

In  1784,  it  was  concluded  that  where  any  Friends 
refuse  to  comply  with  the  advice  of  the  quarterly 
meetings'  committee  in  this  respect,  they  report  the 
case  to  the  monthly  meetings,  and  if  the  refusal  still 
continue  to  be  persisted  in,  after  tender  care  and  la- 
bour on  the  part  of  such  meeting,  that  they  be  dealt 
with  as  "  disorderly  walkers." 

Although  disownment  was  thus  authorised,  the 
object  was  gained  without  resorting  to  it  in  any  case ; 
and  in  the  year  1787,  the  Yearly  Meeting  states  that 
the  effecting  of  a  satisfactory  settlement  for  the  past 
services  of  those  who  had  been  held  in  slavery  was 
brought  to  a  close. 

It  appears  that  previously  to  the  year  1759,  the 
Y^early  Meeting  of  New  Y''ork  had  manifested  its 
disapprobation  of  the  slave  trade,  and  that  a  query, 
**  whether  Friends  were  clear  of  importing  or  pur- 


48 


SLAVERY  AND 


chasing  negroes  or  slaves,  was  regularly  answered 
by  the  subordinate  meetings. 

In  the  records  of  Purchase  Quarterly  Meeting,  we 
find  the  following  minute.  Fifth  mo.  2nd,  1767.  In 
this  meeting  the  practice  of  trading  in  negroes  or  other 
slaves,  and  its  inconsistency  with  our  religious  prin- 
ciples was  revived ;  and  the  inconsiderable  dilference 
between  buying  slaves  or  keeping  those  in  slavery  we 
are  already  possessed  of,  was  briefly  hinted  in  a  short 
query  from  one  of  our  monthly  meetings,  which  is 
recommended  to  the  consideration  of  our  next  Yearly 
Meeting,  viz.  "  If  it  is  not  consistent  with  Christianity 
to  buy  and  sell  our  fellow  men  for  slaves,  during  their 
lives,  and  their  posterity  after  them,  then  whether  it  is 
consistent  with  a  Christian  spirit  to  keep  those  in 
slavery  we  have  already  in  possession,  by  purchase, 
gift,  or  any  other  way?'  It  does  not  appear  from 
minutes  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  what  notice  was  taken 
of  this  application. 

The  minutes  of  Purchase  Quarterly  Meeting  mani- 
fest a  continued  exercise  on  the  subject,  by  repeated 
injunctions  to  the  monthly  meetings  to  enforce  the 
discipline  in  regard  to  it,  and  to  send  up  regular  ac- 
counts of  their  proceedings  therein. 

The  first  minute  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  on  this  sub- 
ject, which  we  have  seen,  is  dated  in  1771,  being  as 
follows:  *'This  meetins:,  taking  into  consideration  the 
state  of  negroes  being  kept  in  slavery,  do  now  con- 
clude that  those  Friends  that  have  negroes  shall  not 
sell  them  to  others  for  slaves,  excepting  in  cases  of 
executors,  administrators  or  guardians,  wdio  are  in 
that  case  to  advise  with  their  respective  monthly 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


4§ 


meetings  therein,  if  attended  with  difficulty,  giving  to 
the  said  meeting  the  state  of  the  case." 

At  the  same  meeting,  a  minute  in  relation  to  keep- 
ing slaves,  communicated  by  Philadelphia  Yearly 
Meeting,  was  read,  and  copies  thereof  sent  to  the 
several  quarterly  meetings.  The  meeting  also  appoint- 
ed a  committee  "  to  visit  them  that  have  slaves,  and 
see  if  there  can  a  freedom  be  obtained  for  them  that 
are  suitable  for  it ;  and  such  as  are  not  set  free,  suit- 
ably instructed  and  provided  for." 

The  committee  made  report  in  the  following  year 
"  that  they  had  attended  to  that  service  with  satis- 
faction in  their  minds,  and  met  with  some  encourage- 
ment therein."  The  same  meeting  issued  an  epistle 
to  its  members,  exciting  them  *  to  faithfulness  in  sup- 
porting our  Christian  testimony  against  selling  and 
buying  negroes.'  The  meeting  of  1774,  "taking  under 
a  weighty  and  solid  consideration  the  matter  in  regard 
to  those  Friends  that  buy  or  sell  negroes,  or  otherwise 
dispose  of  them,  so  that  after  they  come  to  the  age  of 
eighteen  or  twenty-one,  according  to  their  sex,  they 
or  their  posterity  are  kept  in  bondage,  shall  be  treated 
with  as  disorderly  persons;  and  unless  they  are 
brought  to  a  sense  of  their  error,  and  set  such  at  liber- 
ty, the  monthly  meeting  they  belong  to,  shall  testify 
against  them." 

The  next  year,  quarterly  and  monthly  meetings 
were  directed  to  appoint  committees  to  investigate  the 
condition  of  those  held  in  bondage.  In  1776,  the 
reports  from  the  inferior  meetings  state  that  considera- 
ble service  had  attended  the  endeavours  of  the  com- 
mittee, and  the  meeting  renewed  its  injunction  to  the 
quarterly  and  monthly  meetings  as  last  year,  to  visit 

5 


SLAVERY  AND 


those  Friends  who  continue  these  poor  people  in 
bondage,  and  labour  with  them  for  their  release;  and 
that  if  any  are  so  far  unmindful  of  the  sense  and  judg- 
ment of  the  Yearly  Meeting,  &c.,  that  they  be  in- 
formed that  Friends  can  have  no  unity  with  them, 
whilst  in  that  state,  so  far  as  to  employ  them  or  accept 
of  their  services  in  the  church,  or  receive  their  col- 
lections. It  was  also  recorded  as  the  sense  and  judg- 
ment of  the  meeting,  that  no  Friend  should  do  any 
thing  whereby  the  right  of  slavery  is  acknowledged. 
From  the  minutes  of  the  next  year  it  appears  that  a 
considerable  number  of  slaves  were  in  consequence 
set  free,  although  some  members  were  unwilling  to 
comply  with  the  advice  of  their  Friends.  At  the  same 
Yearly  Meeting  it  was  directed,  that  those  who  still 
continued  "  these  poor  people  in  bondage,  should  be 
revisited ;  and  if  any  are  so  unmindful  of  the  sense 
and  judgment  of  the  Yearly  Meeting,  as  to  refuse  to 
comply  with  the  advice  of  their  Friends,  that  the 
respective  monthly  meetings  to  which  they  belong 
deal  with  such  as  disorderly  persons ;  and  unless  they 
comply  with  the  advice  of  the  monthly  meetings,  by 
setting  their  negroes  of  every  age  free,  such  are  to  be 
testified  against." 

The  answers  to  the  queries  from  this  time,  state  the 
care  exercised  by  meetings  in  these  respects ;  and  it 
is  evident  that  very  few  slaves  were  now  left  among 
Friends.  A  solitary  one  is  reported  in  1784,  another 
in  1785;  and  in  1787,  the  quarterly  meetings  state  that 
no  Friends  are  concerned  in  negroes,  as  slaves. 

In  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  1781,  the  propriety  of 
compensating  the  slaves  for  their  services  was  brought 
into  view,  by  a  minute  of  Westbury  Quarter,  and  the 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


51 


meeting  advised  the  appointment  in  each  monthly- 
meeting,  "  of  a  number  of  soHd,  judicious  Friends,  in 
order  to  perform  a  visit  to  such  Friends  as  have  set 
any  of  those  people  free;  and  likewise  to  the  negroes 
who  have  been  set  free,  and  inspect  into  the  particular 
state  and  circumstances  of  such  negroes,  and  afford 
them  such  advice  and  assistance,  both  in  respect  to 
their  spiritual  and  temporal  good,  as  may  be  in  their 
power,  and  endeavour  to  find  what  may  in  justice, 
remain  due  to  them."  At  the  succeeding  Yearly 
Meeting,  it  was  directed  "that  the  sum  or  sums  which 
may  appear  due  to  such  negroes,  be  retained  in  the 
hands  of  Friends  setting  them  free,  to  be  handed  out 
to  said  negroes,  as  they  may  stand  in  need  of  it,  under 
the  inspection  of  standing  committees  appointed  by 
the  monthly  meetings  for  that  purpose." 

So  faithfully  and  earnestly  did  Friends  carry  out 
these  views  of  the  Yearly  Meeting,  that  in  the  year 
1784,  there  appear  to  have  been  but  three  unsettled 
cases  remaining. 

The  course  pursued  by  Friends  of  V^irginia  Yearly 
Meeting,  living  in  the  heart  of  a  slave  country,  and 
surrounded  by  influences  the  most  unfriendly  to  the 
great  work  of  emancipation,  was  marked  by  the  same 
features  of  patient  perseverance  as  were  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  other  Yearly  Meetings. 

The  first  step  taken  by  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Vir- 
ginia, was  the  adoption  in  1757  of  the  following  query, 
designed  to  forbid  the  trafficking  in  slaves.  Are 
Friends  clear  of  importing  or  buying  negroes  to  trade 
on  ;  and  do  they  use  those  well  which  they  are  pos- 
sessed of  by  inheritance  or  otherwise,  endeavouring  to 


62 


SLAVERY  ASJy 


train  them  up  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian  reli- 
gion?" 

The  Yearly  Meeting  of  1764,  advises  Friends  who 
are  possessed  of  negroes,  impartially  to  consider  their 
situation,  and  as  the  reports  from  the  quarterly  meet- 
ings state  that  there  is  a  general  deficiency  in  most 
places  in  instructing  them  in  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion ;  it  is  the  weighty  concern  of  this 
meeting  earnestly  to  recommend  to  the  quarterly  and 
monthly  meetings,,  to  have  that  unhappy  people  more 
immediately  under  their  care  and  notice ;  and  that  they 
not  only  advise  their  masters  and  mistresses  to  use 
some  endeavours  towards  their  education,  but  also 
make  a  diligent  inspection  into  their  usage,  clothing 
and  feeding,  earnestly  advising  that  their  state  and 
station  may  more  and  more  become  the  particular 
care  and  concern  of  each  individual." 

In  1766,  the  propriety  of  forbidding  its  members  to 
purchase  any  more  negroes,  was  proposed  to  the 
Yearly  Meeting,  and  the  subject  referred  to  the  quar- 
terly meetings  to  consider  and  report  their  judgment. 

At  the  next  Yearly  Meeting  (1767,)  the  matter 
respecting  negroes  being  again  resumed,  "it  appears 
that  Friends  cannot  at  this  time  unanimously  con- 
clude upon  issuing  any  injunctions,  either  with  regard 
to  purchasing  or  setting  them  free ;  it  is  therefore  left 
under  the  consideration  of  Friends  till  next  Yearly 
Meeting,  to  be  then  re-considered ;  and  in  the  mean 
time  each  individual  is  earnestly  desired  to  be  very 
careful  not  to  incumber  himself  or  his  posterity  by 
any  further  purchases  of  them,  but  to  be  weightily 
concerned  for  the  removal  of  such  a  burthen  and  in- 
consistency from  our  Society,"  &c. 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


53 


The  subject  was  renewed  in  1768,  and  the  following 
rule  of  discipline  agreed  upon.  ''The  subject  in  regard 
to  negroes  being  brought  before  this  meeting,  and  duly 
and  weightily  considered,  it  appears  to  be  the  sense 
of  the  meeting,  and  accordingly  agreed  to,  that  in 
order  to  prevent  an  increase  of  them  in  the  Society, 
none  of  our  members  for  the  time  to  come,  shall  be 
permitted  to  purchase  a  negro  or  other  slave,  without 
being  guilty  of  a  breach  of  discipline,  and  accountable 
for  the  same  to  their  monthly  meeting." 

The  Yearly  Meeting  of  1773,  issued  the  following 
advices  to  its  subordinate  meetings.  "It  is  our  clear 
sense  and  judgment,  that  we  are  loudly  called  upon  in 
this  time  of  calamity  and  close  trial,  to  minister  justice 
and  judgment  to  black  and  white,  rich  and  poor,  and 
free  our  hands  from  eveiy  species  of  oppression,  least 
the  language  made  use  of  by  the  Almighty  through 
his  prophet,  should  be  extended  to  us  ;  "  The  people  of 
the  land  have  used  oppression  and  exercised  robbery, 
and  have  vexed  the  poor  and  needy ;  yea,  they  have 
oppressed  the  stranger  wrongfully,  therefore  have  I 
poured  out  mine  indignation  upon  them ;  their  own 
way  have  I  recompensed  upon  their  own  heads,  saith 
the  Lord  God.'  We  do,  therefore,  most  earnestly 
recommend  to  all  who  continue  to  withhold  from  any 
their  just  right  to  freedom,  as  they  prize  their  own 
present  peace  and  future'happiness,  to  clear  their  hands 
of  this  iniquity,  by  executing  manumissions  for  all 
those  held  by  them  in  slavery,  who  are  arrived  at  full 
age,  and  also  for  those  who  may  yet  be  in  their  minor- 
ity,— to  take  place  when  the  females  attain  the  age  of 
eighteen,  and  the  males  twenty-one  years.    And  we 

5* 


64 


SLAVERy  AND 


believe  the  time  is  come  when  every  member  of  our 
religious  Society  who  continues  to  support,  or  counte- 
nance this  crying  evil,  either  by  continuing  their  fel- 
low creatures  in  bondage,  or  hiring  such  who  may  be 
kept  in  that  state,  should  be  admonished  and  advised 
to  discontinue  such  practices." 

The  same  meeting  recommends  to  Friends,  "  seri- 
ously to  consider  the  circumstances  of  these  poor 
people,  and  the  obligation  we  are  under  to  discharge 
our  religious  duties  to  them,  which  being  disinterest- 
edly pursued,  will  lead  the  professor  of  Truth,  to 
advise  and  assist  them  on  all  occasions,  particularly 
in  promoting  their  instruction  in  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  the  pious  education  of  their 
children ;  also  to  advise  them  in  their  worldly  con- 
cerns, as  occasions  ofler ;  and  it  is  advised  that  Friends 
of  judgment  and  experience  may  be  nominated  for 
this  necessary  service,  it  being  the  solid  sense  of  this 
meeting,  that  we,  of  the  present  generation,  are  under 
strong  obligations  to  express  our  love  and  concern  for 
the  offspring  of  those  people,  who,  by  their  labours, 
have  greatly  contributed  towards  the  cultivation  of 
these  colonies,  under  the  afflictive  disadvantage  of 
enduring  a  hard  bondage  ;  and  many  amongst  us  are 
enjoying  the  benefit  of  their  toil." 

In  1781),  the  Yearly  Meeting  directed  that  the  mem- 
bers who  continued  in  the  practice  of  holding  their 
fellow  men  in  bondage,  should  be  particularly  visited 
and  laboured  with ;  and  recommended  the  appoint- 
ment of  committees  for  this  purpose. 

From  the  reports  made  to  the  succeeding  Yearly 
Meeting,  that  of  1781,  it  appears  that  the  labours  of 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


55 


the  committees  appointed  to  visit  those  who  held 
slaves,  had  been  nearly  completed,  and  had  produced 
a  good  effect.  At  the  same  meeting,  quarterly  and 
monthly  meetings  were  advised  not  to  employ  in 
the  affairs  of  the  church  any  members  who  continue 
to  hold  their  fellow  creatures  in  bondage,  after  such 
labours  of  love  have  been  extended  to  them." 

A  person  not  professing  with  Friends,  having  been 
appointed  executor  to  a  Friend's  estate,  had  sold  some 
negroes,  and  two  members,  heirs  of  the  deceased,  had 
purchased  them.  The  case  being  represented  to  tJie 
Yearly  Meeting  of  17S1,  it  was  recorded  as  the  unan- 
imous judgment  of  the  meeting,  that  notwithstanding 
motives  of  humanity  may  have  induced  such  pur- 
chases, yet  they  being  contrary  to  our  discipline, 
monthly  meetings  ought  to  receive  no  acknowledg- 
ment, short  of  the  purchaser's  executing  manumissions 
for  said  negroes ;  also  to  continue  it  under  their  care, 
tliat  the  remaining  heirs  do  not  receive  any  part  of 
the  money  arising  from  the  said  sales. 

The  minutes  of  the  succeeding  years,  1782  and 
1783,  manifest  the  deep  concern  which  prevailed  on 
this  subject.  In  1 784,  the  quarterly  meetings  reported 
that  notwithstanding  miOst  of  those  members  who  held 
slaves  had  been  visited  and  laboured  with  in  love  and 
tenderness,  yet  some  of  them  do  not  discover  a  dispo- 
sition to  do  that  justice  to  these  people,  which  we  are 
fully  persuaded  is  their  natural  right.  Monthly  meet- 
ings were  therefore  directed  to  extend  such  further 
care  and  labour,  as  they  apprehended  would  be  useful; 
and  where  these  endeavours  proved  ineifectual,  were 
authorised  to  disown  the  mdividuals. 


56 


SLAVERY  AND 


In  1785,  the  following  query,  was  adopted  ;  "  Do 
any  Friends  hold  slaves ;  and  do  all  bear  a  faithful 
testimony  against  the  practice ;  endeavouring  to  in- 
struct the  negroes  under  their  care  in  the  principles  of 
the  Christian  religion,  and  teach  them  to  read?" 

In  1787,  "  it  appearing  by  the  accounts  that  some 
in  membership  with  us,  still  hold  slaves ;  that  some 
hire,  and  others  are  employed  in  overseeing  slaves,  in 
consideration  of  which  inconsistent  practices  it  ap- 
pears to  be  the  unanimous  judgment  of  the  meeting, 
that  it  is  high  time  for  us,  as  a  people  professing 
Truth,  to  bear  a  faithful  testimony  against  these 
things meetings  were  therefore  exhorted  to  enforce 
the  discipline  in  these  particulars. 

In  this  manner,  by  patient  and  continued  exertion, 
the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Virginia  gradually  cleared 
itself  of  this  grievous  burden  to  all  rightly  concerned 
Friends. 


The  foregoing  narrative  is  an  instructive  example 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  great  Head  of  the  Church 
disposes  the  hearts  of  his  people  to  fulfil  his  gracious 
purposes.  The  evil  practice  of  slaveholding  had 
gained,  before  they  were  generally  awakened  to  a 
sense  of  its  iniquity,  a  footing  among  a  people  united 
in  the  bands  of  Christian  brotherhood,  and  called  upon, 
as  they  believed,  to  maintain  the  cause  of  universal 
righteousness.    Those  among  them  who  were  from 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


the  first  convinced  of  its  sinfulness,  and  who  were 
themselves  clear  thereof,  did  not  cease  to  proclaim 
its  unlawfulness  and  its  inconsistency  with  a  high 
religious  profession.  Yet  was  this  Christian  zeal  tem- 
pered with  Christian  prudence  and  forbearance.  They 
sought  to  conciliate  and  to  convince  those  whom  they 
saw  to  be  in  error.  Year  by  year  did  they  exhort 
and  labour  with  their  brethren,  and  the  opposition  of 
men  urged  to  actions  which  conflicted  with  their 
imagined  interests,  while  it  did  not  slacken  their  zeal, 
did  not  excite  them  to  harsh  or  intemperate  expres- 
sions. Their  course  was  marked  by  discretion,  no 
less  than  by  perseverance.  They  sought  first  to  per- 
suade their  brethren  to  abstain  from  trafficking  in 
human  flesh,  and  after  more  than  half  a  century  of 
persevering  labour,  they  effectually  gained  their  cause. 

The  feelings  and  sentiments  of  the  Society  at  large 
had,  in  the  mean  time,  been  greatly  changed,  and  the 
enormous  sinfulness  of  slaveholding  was  so  generally 
admitted,  that  few  were  found  to  defend  it.  Yet  a 
practice  which  had  prevailed  for  many  generations ; 
in  which  men  of  influence  and  authority  partook ; 
into  which  many  had  fallen  by  inheritance  from  their 
ancestors ;  of  which  the  enormity  was  in  most  cases 
veiled  by  the  mildness  of  the  authority;  which  the 
complex  relations  of  civil  life  involved  at  times  in 
questions  difficult  to  be  resolved ;  a  practice  thus 
deeply  rooted,  could  not  at  once,  by  a  common  con- 
sent, be  abandoned. 

More  than  twenty  years  again  elapsed  before  the 
Society  was  prepared  to  disown  the  slaveholder  ;  and 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  it  could  say 


58 


SLAVERY  AND 


there  was  no  slave  vrithin  its  borders.  At  the  same 
time  there  spread  a  conviction  that  justice  required 
it  to  compensate  the  slave  for  his  labours  ;  to  provide 
for  the  instruction  of  the  young,  the  care  of  the  in- 
firm and  aged,  and  the  assistance  and  advice  of  those 
in  active  business. 

It  was  not  till  all  these  duties  were  performed,  and 
this  debt  of  justice  had  been  paid,  that  the  Society  felt 
itself  called  upon  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  slave  before 
the  world,  and  to  remonstrate  with  the  rulers  and  the 
people  against  the  iniquity  of  the  slave  trade,  and  the 
wickedness  of  slaveholding  ;  the  first  memorial  to  the 
general  government  having  been  presented  by  the 
Yearly  Meeting  of  Pennsylvania,  about  two  years  after 
the  extinction  of  slavery  within  its  own  limits. 

From  that  period  to  the  present  time,  the  Society 
has  continued  to  labour  with  diligence  and  perseve- 
rance, in  this  righteous  cause ;  endeavouring  to  en- 
lighten the  public  mind  respecting  the  enormities  of 
the  slave  trade  and  slavery;  to  prepare  the  way  for  the 
extinction  of  these  foul  blots  upon  the  Christian  name, 
and  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  free  people  of 
colour.  Memorials  have  frequently  been  presented  to 
Congress  and  other  legislative  bodies,  with  a  view  of 
forwarding  these  important  objects,  and  numerous 
treatises,  calculated  to  promote  sound  Christian  views 
respecting  them,  have  been  published  and  widely  dis- 
seminated; besides  various  other  measures  which,  from 
time  to  time,  have  been  presented  as  proper  and  right 
to  engage  in.  And  there  is  abundant  cause  thankfully 
to  acknowledge,  that  as  Friends  have  endeavoured  to 
keep  a  single  eye  to  their  holy  Leader,  and  simply  fol- 


THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


59 


low  his  requirings,  having  no  other  aim  but  to  ad- 
vance his  glory  and  the  good  of  their  fellow  creatures, 
it  has  often  pleased  him  to  open  the  hearts  of  those 
they  have  addressed,  to  receive  their  admonition  or 
remonstrances,  and  to  bless  their  humble  endeavours. 


Date  Ehie 

■  c 

! 

9 

